How to Bewitch a Ghost Hunter Ghost Adventures (SEQUEL, Book 2)
by Paintedwings77
Summary: Evie life is finally on track. She has a decent job in NYC, a nice apartment, a couple roommates and a quirky best friend. Until one night she has a strange encounter with a ghost with an ominous message for her. Looking for answers she turns to the internet where she meets Nick. A sinfully attractive ghost hunter, who is jaded and heartbroken. WAKING UP HITCH SEQUEL - GA story
1. Prologue

**_Note:_**

**_This story is a sequel to my other book, "Waking up Hitched in Vegas". Although if you have not read the other book, you can still read this as a stand alone book. Enjoy!_**

**How to Bewitch a Ghost Hunter**

**Prologue**

Evie sat up straight up in bed as if a bolt of lightning had hit her body. She clutched her chest as she gasped to catch her breath, like she had held her breath for the last five minutes.

She quickly brushed the hair from her eyes as a few beads of sweat dripped down her neck.

-"Just relax ... breath ..." She whispered harshly to herself.

She had that dream again. The one where it felt like a part of her just left her body. It was the strangest thing ever, and it was also the most terrifying thing she had to live through. It had happened twice before, and every time it the same thing.

She'd see a woman. Although she could never make out most of this mystery woman's features, the woman was young; probably the same age as her, she had long dark hair. The woman was also very frightened at the sight of Evie.

Usually the dream, or whatever the hell this was, only lasted a few minutes. It was brief, and no one but this woman was aware of her presence. Then right before Evie could even speak to her she was wrenched back here and was slammed back into her body.

Evie rubbed her hands over her face and threw the blankets off her body. She had to get out of here, get out of this room. She quickly put on a pair of yoga pants and grabbed her sweatshirt, seconds later she was out of her small apartment and walking. It didn't matter where she was walking too, she just needed to move.

As she walked the semi-crowded streets of New York City, she thought about the disturbing dream. Tonight's dream was different. She got to finally speak to the woman, but what was said was still fuzzy in her mind. All she could remember was an old house, which was crumbling and falling apart, and the young woman.

-"You're going to die." Evie had said in a distant, eerie like voice.

-"What?! What do you mean?" The frightened woman asked.

-"I'm sorry."

Evie shook her head and increased the pace of her walking as if she were trying to run away from the awful memory. She had told that poor, terrified woman that she was going to die. Who the hell did that? And why was she even having these strange, disturbing dreams?


	2. Chapter 1 - A strange Meeting

**_Chapter 1_**

**A strange meeting**

**_A year and a half later._**

It's not every day that you see a ghost, but you sure do remember that day when it does happen to you. It imprints in your mind.

I was alone in my classroom. It was a little after nine pm and I was finishing up grading the last of my tenth grade class exam. Using my IPhone and my favorite music app I blasted Pink in my ear buds. Everyone had left hours ago, even the janitors were long gone, but it was not unusual for me to stay so late. I lived with two roommates and this was the quietest place to get any work done.

I usually did not work alone though, Sophie typically stayed late as well but she was MIA for the evening. My best friend and English wiz, Sophie, was out on a date. I had come to New York City a couple of years ago after hearing of the history teaching position opening up at Notre-Dame private school. Everyone in my small hometown of Washington had advised me against it, that moving across the country to a big city was just foolish, but I was determined that I would not stay in the tiny town of Bridgewater forever. When I got this teaching job it put me one step closer to my dream.

As I finished up the last paper on the French civil war I stacked everything neatly on my desk and with a long stretch I stood and made my way to the teacher's lounge where I had left my jacket. Notre-Dame was a large school for both boys and girls, but it had originally been a school only for girl's years ago. I enjoyed it well enough, the students here were eager to learn and the staff was generally pleasant to be around.

As I got to the first floor teachers lounge, which was located right next to the office and the front doors. I turned the ceiling light on, only to notice that the ornate hanging light had two bulbs burnt out. Deciding I should probably change them because if I waited until tomorrow to tell the janitor I would probably have forgotten. In the attempted to search for a light bulb I went to sort through the "if it doesn't have a home, put it in here" box when I heard the front door open. Odd—I could've sworn it was locked from the inside and no one could enter unless they had a key.

-"Anyone there?" I yelled.

I didn't hear the door closing, so I put Pink on mute and took my ear buds out. I strolled out to see who had walked into the school. The streetlamps reflected through the school's large windows, the glare was so intense, I had to remind myself they were just lights and not some alien spacecraft come to whisk me away.

The hallway was empty.

Considering the possibility that someone might be hiding, I swallowed the dread climbing up my throat. Glancing around, I searched for something to protect myself with in case the said breaker-and-enterer decided to attack. My eyes rested on the broom standing not far from the office door.

The broom was maybe two steps from me. That might not sound like much, but my fear had me by the ankles and wouldn't let go.

_Evie, get the damned broom._

Thank God for that little internal voice of sensibility that always seems to visit at just the right time. Freeing my feet from the fear tar, I grabbed the broom and neared the counter which displayed some of the student's art. It was a good place for someone to hide—well, really, the only place to hide. The office doors were locked and no one would have had the time to run to one of the classrooms.

I jammed the broom over the glass counter and swept vigorously. Nothing.

The hairs on my neck stood to attention as a shiver of unease coursed through me. I couldn't shake the feeling and after deciding no one was in the room, I persuaded myself it must have been kids. But kids or not, I would have heard the door close. I didn't discard the broom though. Suddenly as if winter had crept into the room, a chill swept up the back of my neck. For some unknown reason, I glanced up and there he was, floating a foot or so above me.

Stunned, I took a step back, my heart beating so hard that I thought it would leap out of my chest.

-"Holy shit."

The ghost drifted toward me until he and I were eye level. I wasn't sure if I wanted to run or bat at him with the broom. Fear cemented me in place, and I did neither, just stood gaping at him. Even though I was terrified my brain was surprisingly focus. I started to go over every fact I knew about ghosts: they had unfinished business, they were stuck on a different plane of existence, they were here to tell us something, and most importantly, they were just energy. Energy couldn't hurt me ... unless they were demonic ... then I was in serious trouble.

I tried to regulate my heartbeat and breathe normally, I didn't want to show any fear. I returned my gaze to the ectoplasm before me. There was no emotion on his face; he just watched me as if waiting for me to come to my senses.

-"Hello," I said, thinking how stupid I sounded—treating him like every Tom, Dick or Harry who ventured through the school doors. Then I felt stupid that I felt stupid—what was wrong with greeting a ghost? Even the dead deserve standard propriety.

He wavered a bit, as if he was an old TV and the station was not coming in very well, but he still didn't say anything. He was young, maybe in his twenties. His double-breasted suit looked like it was right out from the 1930s if I had to guess. His hair was on the blond side, sort of an ash blond. It was hard to tell because he was standing, well ... no floating, in front of a wooden door that showed through him. Wooden door or not, his face was broad, and he had a crooked nose—maybe it'd been broken in a fight. He was a good-looking ghost as far as ghosts go … not that I would know if ghost were supposed to be handsome or not, this was a first for me.

-"Can you speak?" I asked, still in disbelief that I was attempting to converse with the dead.

Well, I never thought I would ever see a full body apparition. But he still said nothing, so I decided to continue my line of questioning.

-"Do you have a message from someone?"

He shook his head.

-"No."

His voice sounded like someone talking underwater. Hmm. Well, I imagined he wasn't here catch a class. Maybe he was passing through? Going toward the light? Come to haunt the school?

-"Are you on your way somewhere?" I had so many questions for this spirit but didn't know where to start, so all the stupid ones came out first.

-"I was sent here," he finally said and he gave me a smile.

Yeah, not a bad looking ghost.

-"Who sent you?"

It seemed the logical thing to ask. He said nothing and like that, vanished, leaving me to wonder if I had something bad to eat at lunch or if someone drugged my food.

**oOo**

-"So he was see-through?"

-"Have you seen him before?"

I looked from Sophie to Richard and wondered who I should answer first.

-"No, and no." I took a sip of my tea and checked the time on my phone. I had a class to teach in ten minutes and I didn't want to be late.

Sophie nodded and licked her thumb to turn the page to her fashion magazine.

-"I heard that this school is haunted for years." Sophie continued.

-"Weren't you scared?" Richard asked as he pushed his small glasses up his nose.

-"Not really. I just wish he would have answered more questions." I mumbled disappointed.

-"Well maybe next time." Sophie grinned.

-"If I had not been alone, maybe he wouldn't have showed up at all."

-"Hey, one of us has to date." She replied sassily, knowing full well that I had not been on a date in over six months.

An image of my last date popped into my head like a bomb. Let's just say I will never try the Internet dating route again. It wasn't that the guy had been bad looking—he'd looked like his photo, but what I hadn't been betting on was that he'd get wasted and proceed to tell me how he was separated from his wife and had three kids. Not even divorced! Yeah, that hadn't been on his profile.

-"Let's not get into this again…"

-"Evie, you need to get out. You're almost thirty-four…"

-"You sound like my mother ..."

-"Whatever…you're going to end up old and alone. You're way too pretty, and you have such a great personality, you can't end up like that. Don't let one bad date ruin it." Her voice reached a crescendo. Sophie had a tendency towards the dramatic.

-"I've had a string of bad dates, Soph."

-"Hey!" Richard voiced, looking up from his giant book.

-"I wasn't counting you, silly." I quickly said, giving him a bright smile.

He nodded but his shoulders had droop slightly as he shut his book.

-"I have class." He left quickly.

I sighed and mentally slapped myself for my insensitivity. Richard and I had gone out a few times, and he was a nice guy, but I just had not felt the sparks with him ... it was more like going out with your brother. I didn't feel anything romantic for him.

-"Poor Richard." Sophie sighed. "You should give him another chance."

I ignored Sophie. I didn't know what else to say—I was terminally single. It came down to the fact that I'd rather spend time with my cat rather than face another stream of losers. As for being attractive, Sophie insisted I was pretty, but I wasn't convinced. It's one thing when your best friend says you're pretty, but it's entirely different when a man says it. And I couldn't remember the last time a man had said it.

I caught my reflection in the glass of the desk and studied myself while Sophie rambled on about all the reasons I should be dating. I supposed my face was pleasant enough—a pert nose, very dark green eyes, making them appear almost forest green and plump lips. A spattering of very light freckles across the bridge of my nose among my pale skin, and my shoulder length blond hair always finding itself drawn into a ponytail. Head-turning doubtful, girl-next-door probable.

As for Sophie, she didn't look like me at all. For one thing, she's pretty tall and leggy, about five-nine, four inches taller than I am. She had dark hair the color of mahogany, blue eyes and pinkish cheeks. She was classically pretty—like cameo pretty. She was rail skinny and had just enough boobs to make all her clothing look perfect on her frame. I had a tendency to gain weight if I ate too much, I had a definite butt, and the twins are pretty ample as well. Maybe that made me sound like I was fat—I wasn't ... Well I could stand to lose twenty pounds.

Thankfully it was time for me to get to class. I grabbed my things and said goodbye to Sophie.

-"Maybe you should contact those guys that hunt for ghost." Sophie said suddenly before I left.

-"Huh?" I turned towards her.

-"Those three hot guys on TV that hunt ghost, they could find out what that ghost wanted from you."

I shrugged at the ridiculous idea and quickly left.

Class went by quickly. I loved teaching history. I had always had a passion for it, so when it came time to go to college it seemed like the best thing to study. But my history fondness soon turned to a dark subject. The myths and occult side of it. I was forever fascinated with old ghost stories and sightings. From old wife's tales of vampires and werewolves to old haunted cemeteries. I loved it all. Of course it was nothing I could teach but when I started a lecture I often found myself rambling on the old tales that were shared about whatever era we were covering.

Maybe my obsession had started when I was young ... You see I am very different. I can see auras. I have been able to since before I can remember. Every person has an aura. It changes from person to person, but generally a healthy person's aura was pinkish or violet. Someone who was ill had an aura that was yellowish or orange. It was just a small smoky like cloud that surrounded a person. But I had always seen it. Maybe my obsession was because I was hoping to find some answers as to what exactly I was...

**oOo**

By the time next week rolled around, I hadn't had much of a busy week. No more visits from ghosts, spirits, or whatever the PC term is for them. It was the week before Thanksgiving and I didn't overload my students with homework, mostly because I didn't want to be stuck correcting a bunch of papers.

It was once again that time of day where I had a couple of free periods. I should be getting things ready for what to teach after we came back from Thanksgiving break but I couldn't bring myself to focus. I had too much on my mind. The ghost encounter had really shaken me. Although I had studied everything I could on ghost and knew probably more than any one person should, I had never actually gone out and looked for a ghost.

As I entered the teacher's lounge the table was littered with photos that Sophie was arranging around as if they were puzzle pieces. I walked up behind her, only too pleased to find an outlet for my anxiety. The photo in the middle caught my attention first. It was a landscape of the Malibu coastline, the intense blue of the ocean mirrored by the sky and interrupted only by the green of the hillside.

-"Wow, that's a great one, Soph." I picked the photo up. "Can you frame it? I'd love to hang it in my classroom."

-"Sure." She nodded and continued inspecting her photos, as if trying to find a fault in the angle or maybe the subject.

Sophie had aspirations of being a photographer and she had the eye for it. I admired her artistic ability—I, myself, hadn't been in line when God was handing out creativity. I sat next to her with a sigh and she gave me a worried glance.

-"Are you still worrying about that ghost?"

-"I just don't understand, what did he mean by he was sent here?" I furrowed my brow.

-"I have no idea. Did you try contacting those guys?"

-"No."

Sophie gave me an annoyed look. She grabbed her phone and after a few moments she thrust it in my hands.

-"That is the website; they have a message board, just post and see if they respond."

I looked down at the screen; the site was a typical website with a very big forum full of posts, mostly from fan girls declaring their love for these guys. I glanced up at Sophie.

-"Seriously? No one is going to read this post except for their fan clubs."

-"Just post!"

-"How do you even know about this thing?"

I might have been knowledgeable about ghosts and history but I knew nothing about what was on TV these days. I rarely even watched the tube. Did they still call it that? I found more enjoyment in reading a good old research book, or hanging out with my roommates.

-"The locations they investigate are sometimes quite beautiful; I sometime watch the show to get some ideas on where I can take pictures next." She casually shrugged but I somehow suspected that she might have been a secret fan girl.

With a sigh I signed up on this website that claimed that one of the guys from Ghost Adventures would read each post every month. After creating a username I posted my experience and asked what I could do to find out what this ghost wanted. I pressed the send button and closed the website. I really did not expect anything to come of this.

* * *

-"Why the fuck do I have to go through these damn post?" Nick moaned like a spoiled child.

-"Because I did it last month, and Aaron did it the month before that. Now it's your turn." Zak pushed the laptop in Nick's direction.

-"Yes, but when you did it, I had to help you, so I think we should at least split the work." Nick pushed the laptop back towards Zak.

-"It's not my fault I had a bad cold and couldn't finish." Zak pushed the laptop again across the glass table. He then quickly got up and sauntered over to his living room, where Aaron was playing on the gaming system.

Nick sighed.

-"Whose fucking idea was this website anyway?" Nick grumbled.

Aaron peaked up from the couch at the same time Zak turned around.

-"Yours!" They both said at the same time.

Nick stuck up his middle finger at both his friends who chuckled at his annoyance. He briefly wondered why he put up with those two assholes but he then quickly reminded himself that they were more than just his coworkers, they were also his friend and had stuck by him through everything life had thrown at him the last few years. He really couldn't ask for any better friends, even if he didn't get to see them except when they went on investigations or on weekends like this, when they had some editing to do.

Nick lived in Boston, but he had lived in Las Vegas for a few years until his now estranged wife wanted to move to Boston where her family was from. But Nick was starting to reconsider coming back to Vegas. It would be easier to get work done and he really had no reasons to stay in Boston anymore. Nick had been married for six years. The first three years and half had been ... well great. But as time passed he and Jennifer had started to drift apart. She blamed his work, and wanted him to quit ghost hunting. When he refused she went and found comfort with another man when he was away on business. He had suspected she was up to something but he never had any proof until he came home early from an investigation ten months ago, he had an awful case of the flu and just wanted to crawl into bed.

But instead he had found another man in his bed and he had spent the rest of that week moving out of their spacious apartment, instead of nursing his cold. They were now in the process of a divorce but she was making everything difficult. She wanted outrageous alimony support and she refused to let him see their seven year old daughter, Emma.

Pushing aside the sad state of affairs of his life he got to work on reading the forum that Billy had set up for their show. They had come up with the idea of the website after a particularly sad meeting with the producers of their show, Ghost Adventures. The top executors of the Travel channel were started to get worried that the guys were going to run out of interesting locations they could investigate. Even though there were thousands of locations to hunt at, the producers only wanted exciting locations and let's face it, not every location turned out as planned.

Sometimes the ghost activity just didn't happen, and sometimes the ghost activity was just a cat in the alley and people who were easily spooked. So Billy had come up with the idea of having fans of the show tell them about haunted locations, like private homes, which they did not often investigate, and other places they might not have heard of.

The forums were pretty successful. They had gotten a few awesome locations from some of the fans out there. But there was also a lot of fake hauntings being reported and even more posts on just how much they loved the guys. It was a very tedious job to go through all the thousands of posts and finding the ones that reported locations and those that just are messing around. It was agreed that every month one of them would go through the posts and find what was worth looking into and what wasn't. This month, it was Nick's turn.

He got to work and started to read through the posts. Most of them were love declarations to Zak. Poor guy had more teenage girls after him then one man would want.

After a couple of hours, Nick had found only three posts that were worth looking into. He had emailed the people asking them for more information and phone numbers so he could call them. He was getting ready to take a small break, right after this last post from someone called Evie78. He clicked on the post and read the short message.

_Hi,  
I work at a school in NYC and I saw a ghost. But that is not the reason I am posting this message. I am hoping that someone can help me decipher the cryptic message this ghost told me. It was a young man, I am sure I never knew him, but he told me that he was sent to me. That was all he said. The message although slightly unnerving has me wondering who is trying to get in contact with me. I sure hope someone with more experience can help me out.  
Evie._

Nick frowned at the strange post. It was very unusual, for many reasons, but the one that really stuck out at him was that this woman was not freaked out at all that she saw a full apparition of a ghost, even after it spoke to her. Even he, an experience ghost hunter, would absolutely without a doubt be slightly overwhelmed if he would have seen a ghost appear in front of him, and speak to him.

Unsure if this post was just a joke or not he decided to email this Evie person asking for her number. He found that most fake reports never called so it was a good way to weed out the posts that were just seeking attention and the real ones.

Satisfied with his work, Nick shut the laptop down to go join his friends in playing the PlayStation for the few hours before he had to catch his flight back to Boston. He didn't tell Zak and Aaron about the strange post because he was very positive that he would never get any sort of response back.


	3. Chapter 2 - Before Sunset

**Chapter 2**

**Before sunset**

Nick parked the small Ford fiesta that he rented in front of the old brick school. Getting out he took in his surroundings. It looked like a typical New York City building, with its dirty red bricks and large black, metal fence that surrounded the school, giving it an old Gothic look. Although unlike many of the places he had investigated this place was well maintained. Then again the tuition that these kids parents probably paid the school was enough to keep it looking immaculate.

It had been three weeks since Nick had first sent an email to the teacher that claimed to have seen and talked to a full apparition. To his surprise the woman called Evie had emailed him back the next day with her work and extension number. He had spoken to the old teacher a couple of times. Well he assumed she was old. Evie was not exactly a common name and she was a teacher at a private school ... he pictured a woman in her fifties with a stern look and a wardrobe that matched the decade she was born in.

Over the phone she had stuck to her story about seeing the ghost and she had also made it clear that she did not want an investigation of the school, which was strange. In his nine years of doing Ghost Adventures he had never met anyone who did not want proof of what they saw, everyone always wanted to be validated. Her plain refusal to have the guys investigate was enough to make him suspicious of this whole thing.

After talking to Evie on the phone, he had done some research on this school and it had quite a history to it. The school was located in the heart of New York City, and in 1849 it was first opened as a brewery near what was known at the time as the five point's neighborhood. A well-known place for its dangerous gangs and high crime. The whole neighborhood was just a horrible place to be, even police officers were afraid to set foot near the five points.

Eventually the brewery shut down and the building was bought by the state to be made into a school for boys. Although the action was honorable at the time, the school became more like a prison than anything else. At the height of the Irish migration many children arriving were often left orphan and they were brought to the school. For unknown reasons the boys were not cared for properly and were often subject to terrible treatment. From being starved to daily beatings.

After the death of a boy who had been in a fight with another boy, the school was shut down and converted into a hospital and mental asylum in the 1930's, when lobotomies was a common practice for the mentally ill. Several thousands of people were subjected to such treatments, along with shocking treatments. There was no accurate numbers of deaths but it was probably in the thousands. The building remained as an asylum until the early 90's when it was bought by a private owner and made into a school for gifted children.

The place had a very dark history attached to it, and it made it a prime location for hauntings. Nick had tried to find people who might have worked there in the past, to ask them if they had any paranormal experiences, but to his surprise he could find no one. It was as if everyone who had ever worked there had just disappeared after leaving employment.

As Nick completed his frustrating research, Zak had read some of the groundwork Nick had left lying around and Zak had grown excited about the location.

-"Dude you have to get us in there."

-"The woman doesn't want us there." Nick had said gloomily.

-"What the fuck? Didn't she contact us?" Zak glanced at Nick with confusion.

-"Yeah, through the website."

-"So what the fuck does she want then?"

-"She said she saw and talked to a full apparition of a guy, and she wanted to know what his message meant."

-"What did he say?"

-"He said he was sent to her."

-"That sounds ... weird ... Does she know anyone that has died recently? Or that can talk to the dead?"

-"Not that she seemed to be aware of."

-"Maybe she is sensitive to ghost or an empath." Zak had commented thoughtfully.

Nick stared at his friend that he had known for years. If this would have happened two years ago, Zak would have had a much different reaction, but since marrying Ana, Zak had grown much more laid back and mellow. He still loved to investigate but it wasn't his first priority anymore, his wife and two and half-year old daughter, Zoe was. But if anyone deserved some happiness it was Zak.

-"Well work on her, I'd love to get in there." Zak patted Nick on the shoulder.

That was easier said than done though. Nick had called her a few more times and she still refused to let them come investigate, but she had agreed to meet him. It was at least a step closer to getting in the school to perform an investigation.

So here he was now, standing at the gates of this large school, ready to meet the strange woman who claimed to have spoken to a ghost. He rather hoped that this would be quick. He and the guys had just gotten done with an investigation in Montana. Zak would have come himself but he and Ana were in the process of moving. They had just bought a new home in Louisiana, in a small town, where the lifestyle was a bit more laid back and appropriate to raise a child. The whole crew was helping them move.

Well, everyone except for Nick. He had to be back in Boston in time for some mediation shit. Who knew getting divorced was going to be a longer affair then his marriage had turned out to be. Nick shook his head, quickly dispelling the thoughts of Julie. Now was not the time...

But it was just as well that he wasn't in Vegas. Lately he just wasn't in the mood to be around anyone, especially Zak and Ana. He did love them both, but it was hard to watch them be so happy together when everything in his own life was falling apart. The only thing that was really keeping him together was his work. He had buried himself in it. He was the one that brought several new haunted locations to the crew's attention; he booked all the places, made the phone calls and arranged the meetings. He was even doing a little private work on the side and offering his ghost hunting services to local people who might want it. Anything to keep busy.

So here he was, in New York City, ready to meet Evie and make this investigation happen.

**oOo**

It was a bit after four pm when Nick arrived. He was a little late and hoped she was still here. But then again what could an old woman have to rush home too? She was probably one of those annoying teachers that stayed late after school, grading papers and findings new ways to torture her students with long, boring assignments.

As Nick walked through the large gate, his gazed traveled to the small school yard off to the side. A few children in dark, navy blue uniforms were playing a game of basketball as happy squeals and shouts echoed through the warm afternoon air.

It was only April but it felt more like June as the sun shun brightly down. Nick pulled the sleeves up on his long-sleeved shirt and headed towards the large, ornate front doors. When he stepped into the school, the hallway was deserted, just as he had expected, but what he had not expected was the inside to be so cheery and so unlike the exterior of the school. The outside had a very old, gothic look to it. But the inside was modern and quite posh. The floors were made of a bright, shiny wood, freshly polished, and the walls were painted a bright blue with happy yellow splashes all over, making it seemed as though the sun had streaked its walls.

Lovely pictures of students art work were hung on the walls in long rows.

Nick took in his surrounding, unsure on where to go meet this teacher. She had said she would meet him at the office but since he was late she had probably assumed he stood her up and had gotten tired of waiting. Spotting the office, Nick headed for it, but all the lights were out and the door was locked. Unsure on what to do next, the soft sound some sort of machinery caught his attention. When Nick glanced in the direction it came from, he saw it was a janitor polishing the floors.

-"Hey, excuse me?" Nick called.

A man in his mid-forties looked up a bit surprise to see someone here. He stopped his polisher and approached Nick.

-"Can I help you with somethin'?" The man asked with a heavy Brooklyn accent.

-"Yeah, I'm looking for an Evie Thompson. She was supposed to meet me at the office, but I'm late."

The man's face lit up at Evie's name. It was obvious the janitor was smitten with the old teacher, but his gaze turned hard as he seemed to be assessing Nick.

-"Why, what do 'ou want with 'er?"

Nick was not at all impressed with the man's tough stare but he did want to get in here for an investigation, but he wasn't about to blur his business to him.

-"She contacted me about some work she wanted me to do for her." Nick said vaguely.

The man stared at Nick a bit longer as if trying to decide if he should let him in the school or throw him out, until he finally spoke.

-"She's in 'er office, second floor." The janitor pointed down the long corridor to a staircase. "Go up the stairs and take a right, go all the way to the end and then go right again. 'er office is the third door."

-"Thanks." Nick nodded to the janitor and headed for the stairs, pretty sure that the old man was probably going to be following him.

Once he climbed the stairs and followed the long hallway with several classrooms he came to the end where he could either turn right or left. This hallway was dark except for the sunlight that came in from the big window at the end of the corridor. He also noticed music. It was hard to discern what the music was, but the upbeat drumming and sounds became clearer the closer he got to the third door he was told to go too.

The door was partly closed as Madonna sung about opening her heart. Nick's eyebrow arched at the song playing. He somehow didn't really picture an old, stuffy history teacher listening to Madonna, but as he prepared himself to knock a shadow caught his eye from inside the room. A woman with light blond hair came spinning by; she was light on her feet and moved with ease as her hips sung to the beat.

She twirled around once, then a second time as her arms freely swung over her head, but something made her stop abruptly. She let out a small gasp and rushed to the door and wrenched it open. Nick was slightly taken aback by the woman standing in front of him. She was only a couple of inches shorter than he, she wore jeans and a t-shirt, her hair was up in a messy bun with several strands fell down her neck and framing her face.

She was slim but still with some amazing curves that made his hand itch wanting to touch her. Nick quickly blinked and moved his gaze up to her face, her luscious lips were slightly parted, as he kept going up to meet her eyes, he was greeted with bright - scolding - green eyes.

-"You know it's rude to spy on people!" She said glaring at Nick.

-"I wasn't spying." He replied back defensively.

-"No?" Her eyebrow quirked. "Well what would you call a guy standing outside someone's office and peaking in like some sort of peeping tom?"

* * *

I crossed my arms over my chest as I glared at the man in front of me. Whoever the hell he was ... I mean sure he wasn't too bad-looking I guess ... He had great hair and a killer body, but his face was slightly pale and even though he was incredibly handsome, he just looked ... unwell. Like he hadn't slept well in a while or eaten a proper meal in ages.

He was dressed in black jeans and a dark grey long sleeve, polo shirt. He looked great and smelled even better, his Ralph Lauren cologne scent carried over to me. It was obvious he wasn't some homeless man who had wandered into the school. It only left with one possibility. This was Nick, the man I was supposed to meet about my ghost.

Great. I thought. Not only had he caught me dancing around, he was absolutely gorgeous. So I did the only thing I could do. I lashed out.

-"So what do you want?" I asked in my best annoyed voice, knowing full well what he wanted.

-"I am looking for Evie Thompson? Is she here?" He asked, sounding exasperated, craning his neck to look into my room.

-"That's me. Are you Nick?"

-"You're Evie?" He said in disbelief.

-"Yeah, why?" What the hell was this guy's problem?

-"But your ... Are you sure?"

-"I think I know who I am." Okay this guy is getting on my nerves!

Nick shrugged nonchalantly.

-"Fine, okay, whatever. Let's do this then."

I opened the door wider and let him in. He walked in and suddenly my office felt very small. His large, dark frame stood in front of the window, blocking the afternoon sunlight coming in. He stood tall with his legs apart and his arms crossed. He looked slightly angry and like he had a giant chip on his shoulders, and for some reason I really wanted to pick on that chip.

I found his presence slightly unnerving and I wasn't sure why. I quickly walked to my desk, refusing to meet his stare.

-"So this ghost, he was probably my age, but it was hard to tell because you know he was slightly see-through, I think he was from the twenties or thirties, well his clothing were anyway ..."

-"Where did you see him?" Nick interrupted me.

-"Right here in my office."

-"And you saw him? A full apparition?" His tone was dripping with doubt.

-"Yeah, he was kind of floating but I could see all of him." I snapped.

-"What were you doing?"

-"Grading papers ... but I already told you all this on the phone ..."

-"Listen Mrs. Thompson."

-"Evie." I leaned against my desk and glared at Nick.

He took a step closer, because of the light at his back I could barely see his face but he almost looked like a dark angel coming at me.

-"Evie." He said in a low tone that gave my skin goose bumps. "The fact that you won't let us investigate makes me doubt your whole story."

-"Just because I won't let you investigate?"

-"It seems ... suspicious." He stopped a couple of feet away from me.

-"I'm not a liar! Are you saying that I just made up that stuff so I could get you guys to come here?" I stood up straight and balled my hands up at my sides.

-"Well I sure as hell can't think of another reason why am here." Nick said angrily.

-"Seriously?" I took a step closer and tilted my head proudly. "Aren't you full of yourself!? I saw the man, right here in my office! He told me he was sent to me, I just wanted to know why!"

Nick's face softened a bit at my distressed tone.

-"Do you know anyone who might have died recently?" He asked. I shook my head no and tried to calm my nerves. It was not easy thinking about the incident that had happened a month ago. "And you haven't seen him since?"

-"No ..."

Nick sighed and to my relief he moved to off to the side, letting the bright sun once again come in. But it did nothing to bring the tension down in the room. I couldn't understand why I felt so on edge and annoyed. I was never this rude or dry with a stranger, so why was I being this way with Nick?

-"Well listen Evie, frankly I am no medium or psychic. I am just an investigator. I can't do shit unless you let me investigate." He slowly walked to my wall and stopped to observe one of the pictures Sophie gave me. "If you are afraid that we might somehow make this spirit angry at you, I can assure you we won't do anything -"

But as Nick started to give a speech on how he would respectful and they would do their best to get me answers I wanted I felt that odd feeling overcome me. That strange feeling I had not felt in over a year. I had had such awful nightmares about a woman who I didn't know. They had plagued me for weeks, and then they had just stopped. Like they had never happened and I had not had them since.

But when I woke up from those dreams I always felt very disoriented and sick. And right now that same terrible feeling was overwhelming me. The room was far too warm, and I felt like I was suffocated. I could hear Nick speaking, but I couldn't discern any of the words he was saying. My vision blurred and my eyes watered as I strained to look at him as he turned around.

-"Evie? Are you alright?"

His voice almost sounded like it was underwater it was so muffled. I wanted to shake my head no, but I couldn't form any words as I felt my eyes roll to the back of my head and I felt myself falling to the ground.


	4. Chapter 3 - Visions

**Chapter 3**

**Visions**

Zak walked through the spacious house, avoiding boxes left and right. He slowly made his way to the back of his new home where the sun-room was located until he spotted his target. Ana, his amazing wife stood still, gazing out at the large backyard.

It had taken some time before they decided on the right house. Everything they had looked at was either too small, to plain or to boring. He wanted a house with character and that spoke to him, something unique. He had also wanted a house on a quiet street where his daughter could play without him having to worry.

When Zak and Ana had seen this early turn of the century plantation, Zak knew right away he was home, and when Ana had seen the yard, she had immediately fallen in love with it, making plans on where she wanted a garden and the swing set she had already ordered for Zoe.

A small smile curled on his lips as he recalled her excitement at all the prospect the new house brought them, and he was all too willing to let her do all those things she had planned. Ana deserved everything, and he would do his damn best to give it to her. She had been through enough. Ana had lived through more than one person should have to endured in a lifetime. But if anyone could handle it, it was Ana. His wife was the strongest woman he had ever met.

Anastasia was an empath, just like he was, but she wasn't just any regular old empath. She was a shadow empath. Her talent was so rare that one was only born every five hundred years. Ana could not only see and feel ghosts; she could step into their world. A whole world where the spirits of those who had died and now wandered this earth lived. Well she used to be able too. Until a creature called the Guardian had taken over the spirit world. He now controlled everything in that world and told Ana to never step foot there again or he would kill her.

That wouldn't have been a problem, but the Guardian wanted out of the shadow world and to come to this world, to cleanse it and Ana's blood was the key to releasing him. Zak still had no idea why the Guardian had not killed Ana when she had gone to the shadow world the last time to save him and Keane, but he hadn't.

That didn't matter to Zak though; all he knew was that if she went back the Guardian wouldn't be so kind the next time.

The problem was, there was a group out there. An order. They called themselves the order of the dragon and their goal was to release the Guardian so it could purify the planet of all human life that was not empathic and the order knew Ana was the key to opening the doorway between the two worlds. They had come after Ana before, and they would again. Now Zak went nowhere without Ana. He knew he was probably a bit over-protective but he did not care. He'd keep his family safe no matter what.

Ana was now part of the Ghost Adventures team. She came on all the investigations and had brought a lot to the show. She did most of the research and some of the investigation. Of course they kept it a secret about her special empathic abilities but she, like him she often felt and saw things which they did show on camera and the viewers loved her. It also had appeased all the gossip magazines and websites on the mysterious wife to the hottest ghost hunter out there.

It also gave Zak an excuse to have Ana with him, although he didn't let her stay on every investigation. Some were just too violent or dangerous and he didn't want her near those places. They still didn't fully understand her connection to the dead and he had no idea if the Guardian was in contact with the violent or demonic spirits. So she stayed with Billy in their base camp.

Zak blinked, bringing him back to the present; he slowly approached his wife from behind. He tiptoed to Ana, who seemed to be lost in thought. When he was close enough he wrapped his arms around her from behind, she let out a small gasp of surprise but after glancing down and recognizing her husband's hands and arms she lost no time in leaning back into him as his arms tighten around her. She rested her head back on his broad shoulder.

-"Hey." She whispered happily, closing her eyes and inhaling deeply.

-"What are you doing out here all alone?" Zak said softly, bending his head down.

-"I just needed a couple of minutes to myself."

Zak placed his lips on her neck and trailed a series of kisses along her slender neck.

-"I agree." He mumbled with his lips against her skin. "We could use a few minutes to ourselves."

Ana let out a soft laughed, which soon turned to a moan as Zak trailed kisses down to her shoulder, but as he did so he suddenly felt Ana go limp in his arms and he knew something was wrong. Tightening his grasped, Ana's legs gave out and her head drooped forward.

-"Ana?" Zak shook her slightly with no response from her. "Aaron! Keane!" He yelled. "Get in here, now!"

* * *

Nick had to admit, he was acting like a total ass. It wasn't like him; he usually was level-headed and cool in most situations, especially when it came to dealing with new people. Aaron was a little too silly and goofy and even though he was a great guy, he sometimes came off as not being as professional because of his joking and silliness. And then there was Zak, who usually was the smooth one when he wanted to be, but since getting married, Zak was leery of everyone he met and extremely cautious of strangers. That left Nick to be the proper delegate for the group, who had always been the sensible one. At least until he met Evie.

He couldn't explain what it was about her but as soon as he had laid eyes on her, he wanted to grab her and kiss her, and that feeling alone was enough to tick him off. He didn't want to feel this way about anyone, especially another woman. He had enough of the opposite sex to last him a lifetime.

Nick rambled on about how he and the guys needed to come in and do a proper investigation, keeping his eyes on Evie's wall behind her desk. Talking was keeping his temper in check.

Strangely Evie's wall was helping him keep his cool. Her wall was loaded with pictures she had stuck on. All of them of different sceneries but everyone one of them soothing, from beautiful beaches to shots of the evening sky. Whoever the photographer was had quite an eye for the serene beauty of nature and it was obvious that Evie thought so as well because her whole wall was covered with these amazing photos.

-" ... I understand that you want answers but we really can't do that unless we come in and do a full investigation –"

Nick paused as he heard a shuffling behind him. Evie had been abnormally quiet and when he turned around he saw why. Evie's eyes were half closed and glazed over. Her head lolled to one side then other as her body wavered backwards, then forward. He could tell that she was going limp and wouldn't be able to stand up much longer. Without further thought, Nick skillfully jumped over the desk and rushed to Evie's side just as she started to fall forward, Nick caught her in his arms with ease.

-"I've got you." He said soothingly.

He gently cradled her body in his arms while he carefully got on the ground and sat down. Never letting go of Evie. Seconds later, Evie moaned and her head twisted from one side to the other until she was facing his chest, he felt her inhale deeply and a small smile curled onto her lips. As he watched her, he was in awe at how lovely she was. She had full lips and a small upturned nose. But the moment was all too soon over when her eyes fluttered open and her expression turn to horror as she realized she was on the ground.

-"What happened?" She asked, trying to get up but Nick refused to let her go.

-"Take it easy ... you just passed out."

She suddenly started to tremble. Her face paled and her eyes tear up.

-"Not again ..." She whispered. She pushed at his chest with a shaky hand trying to stand up but it was obvious that the action had made her extremely dizzy. Just as quick she yanked her hand back and grabbed her forehead with a groan. "Ugh."

Nick waited a couple of minutes as she clutched her forehead and he felt her breathing in deeply and then slowly exhale. When she finally lifted her head up she looked a bit better and this time he helped her stand up and get into her office chair. He carefully watched her grab her bottle of water and take a long drink. As he watched her, he knew one thing, whatever had just happened, it had scared the living hell out of her.

-"What did you mean, not again? You've passed out before, are you sick?" Nick finally asked quietly.

Evie shook her head no. Most of her hair was out of its messy bun and he could see that she had very blonde hair; it was almost a whitish blonde, which reached a bit past her shoulders.

-"I'm not sick ... I don't think." She mumbled, setting her plastic bottle down on the desk.

-"Well what the hell was that? Cause that sure scared the shit out of me."

-"I just - " Evie rested her head on the back of her chair and let out a long sigh. "This hasn't happened in a long time ... But I'm fine, this will pass."

Nick eyed her suspiciously but he didn't want to press the issue. He didn't even know this woman; he couldn't start demanding explanations on her health when he needed to be nice to get her to agree on the investigation. He was silent for a few more moments before speaking again.

-"Look, I know this isn't the best time but ..." Nick crouched down next to Evie. He had a funny feeling that whatever was happening to her was somehow supernatural. "I can help you." He met her bright green eyes, which held a trace of unshed tears and so much fear; he set his hand on hers, which rested on the arm of the chair. "Whatever is going on here, you need answers. Just let me have one night here, no cameras, no guys, just me and you. Then you'll see that we are totally professional and maybe then you will trust us to investigate here properly."

Nick had no idea why the hell he had just offered that. He had to be in Boston in three hours! But looking at her now and her scared and disheveled state, he couldn't leave...

Evie cleared her throat.

-"It's not that I don't want you to investigate ..." She said softly. "I'm just a teacher ... when I tried to get the approval of the principal for this he flat-out refused."

Nick felt himself stiffen. He had not seen that coming, Evie had led him on, and she never had any intentions on letting him investigate.

* * *

I watched Nick's face fall as I told him that it wasn't my choice if he could investigate or not. I wasn't sure why but seeing him so disappointed made me upset with myself.

-"I'm sorry, I didn't tell you ..." I blushed. "I just thought that no one would even talk to me if I said that you could never come investigate ... I never thought that you would come all the way out here just to try to convince me." I felt guilty for technically leading him on in thinking he had a chance in looking into this school.

Nick stood up and to my dismay moved away.

For some reason I felt better when he was near me. I was actually barely holding myself together right now. It had happened again, I had seen her again. I had not seen the woman with the long brown hair in almost two years. What was even more unnerving was that this time I had passed out. That had never happened. When I did see her before, I was usually already sleeping; I had hoped that they were only dreams...

Seeing her had been very brief. But it was different this time. It had felt different. When I saw her, she looked as scared as I felt, but before either one of us could speak we heard laughter ... but not good happy laughing, no, this was like something you heard in a horror movies and the bad guy cackled like a madman. Seconds after the girl was gone and I woke up in Nick's arms.

Which had not been entirely unpleasant. His strong arms and warm scent had been intoxicating enough that I would consider fainting again just to get another few minutes in his arms. As I thought about this new plan, Nick had gathered his jacket and headed for my office door.

-"Since I can't investigate there is really nothing I can do for you." He said stiffly, obviously very annoyed.

I quickly stood up and scrambled to the door forgetting my dizziness.

-"But, I thought you were going to help me with figuring out what the ghost wanted from me!" I rushed over and blocked the door.

-"Look, I have no idea what he meant or if you even saw what you think you saw. I can't do shit unless I get a vibe for this place." He glared at me.

-"Are you calling me a liar?"

-"Well you've already proven that you are a liar, Miss Thompson." He said his voice full of venom.

Okay he had a point, sort of...

-"I didn't lie." I said offended. "I just ... withheld information!"

-"Same fucking thing!"

What the hell was this guy's problem? So I had not told him about the principal ... it wasn't like it was a huge thing, I couldn't understand why he was so upset. All because he couldn't investigate this school?

-"If this is because you think you wasted your time, I can pay you for your trouble."

But that statement just seemed to make Nick even angrier. With a shove he pushed me aside and wrenched the door open, stomping out of my office. Dumbfounded that he had actually just pushed me to get out, I quickly recovered and rushed out to the corridor to see him rounding the corner at the end of the hallway.

-"Wait!" I yelled. "Please ... Just wait a minute!" I called rushing over to catch him. I couldn't let him leave. He was my only hope in getting the answers I needed. Coming around the corner I crashed into Nick's hard chest. I grabbed his arm to stabilize myself but seeing his hate filled looked I removed my hand from him with speed.

He crossed his arms and looked down at me but didn't say anything. I straightened my shirt and tried my best to ignore his hateful look.

-"You can't go! What about the ghost ... he told me he was sent to me! What if he comes back?" He couldn't go! I needed him, he was my only hope! I didn't want to beg ... I really didn't want to beg ... especially to this arrogant guy, but I would if I had too. I wasn't sure what bothered me more, the fact that he thought I was making this up or that this ghost might come back ... That's when the idea hit me. "What if ... what if we come back after it gets dark and investigate."

Nick's face softened a bit as he seemed to be thinking about what I had just said. He brushed past me and took a few steps, looking around the dark corridor.

-"Sneak back in here?"

-"Yeah, I have a key to the back because I sometimes stay late, we can come back after nine, the janitors are all gone by then. I'll prove it to you that I'm not a liar."

Nick kept his back to me but I saw his head give a curt nod.

-"Fine. We'll come back after dark." He turned to me and his dark eyes set on mine, I thought I saw something flare but he quickly walked by me and headed for the exit.

* * *

-"Ana, sweetie?"

Zak gently brushed his fingers along Ana's face as she started to stir. When she cracked her eyes open, Zak was leaning over her, looking at her with concern. Blinking a couple of times she looked around and saw Aaron, Keane and Billy all leaning down as well, staring at her. She furrowed her brow trying to remember what happened ... Her head throbbed and she felt slightly ill.

She tried to sit up but Zak kept a firm grip on her.

-"Ana, what happened?" Zak asked again.

-"She saw her again ... You saw her again didn't you, Anastasia?" Keane's deep voice spoke with its familiar accent.

-"I –" Ana tried to remember but everything was so fuzzy.

Keane crouched down next to her and gave her a sympathetic look.

-"You are having a hard time remembering?"

She slowly nodded, because anything to fast was made her feel even dizzier. Keane reached out and put his hand on Ana's, he then closed his eyes and like a bolt of lightning had struck her Ana's whole body stiffen and she gasped for air. Her eyes shut tightly as tears stung them.

-"What the fuck did you do?" Zak snapped pulling her away from Keane, trying to pull Ana away from Keane.

-"Just helping her remember." Keane said nonchalantly, not seeming to concerned.

Ana let out a small shriek as her eyes opened. Everyone jumped back for a moment; her usual warm, hazel eyes were blazing with a fiery flame. Then seconds later it was gone and she sagged into Zak's arms.

-"I saw her ..." She whispered, sounding exhausted. "I saw her again."

Zak furrowed his brow for a moment.

-"Your half-sister?" Ana slowly nodded. "But you haven't seen her in almost two years!"

Ana swallowed thickly.

-"I saw Nick too ... Nick was there." She whispered.

Zak looked up at Aaron with concern but there was no need, Aaron was already digging his phone out of his pocket, getting ready to dial Nick's number.

* * *

**A/N:**

**I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please if you did, let me know! Write a quick comment and vote for this chapter, it helps me out greatly in knowing that you all enjoyed it.**

**Thank you again for all your faithful reading.**

**I have another Zak story (unrelated to this one), called Haunted. Check it out! :)**


	5. Chapter 4 - The Past That Haunts

**Chapter 4**

**The Past That Haunts**

Nick headed out of the school and rushed to his car. He took off moments later, without a look back. He was pissed off. He didn't want to stay in this area one moment longer, he wanted to drive home to Boston and see his little girl like he promised her.

But instead he was going to stay here, in New York City, and break into a school just to help out a woman who wanted no help from him in the first place. He must have something wrong with him.

He drove through the streets on New York, having no idea where he was headed. He drove until he was cleared of the insane traffic of downtown. He found a place to pullover.

With a sigh he dug his phone out of his pocket and found his soon to be ex-wife's number and pressed send. Moments later a familiar child's voice came on the line.

-"Hi, Daddy!" She answered excitedly.

-"Hey, baby girl, what are you doing?"

-"I was watching SpongeBob, but mommy was turning it off because she said I have to pack." Nick could hear the pout in her voice and he could see his little golden angel, with her almost white-blonde hair all messy and tousled with her bottom lip protruding out. His heart squeezed a bit. Emma suddenly grew excited. "Are you here daddy?"

Nick swallowed thickly and silently cursed himself.

-"Not exactly ... Something came up and daddy is still in New York. I won't be able to leave for a bit longer."

-"Oh ..." She sounded so disappointed. "Will I see you tomorrow then?"

-"I sure hope so." Nick's voice became strangled.

-"Are you looking for ghosts with Uncle Zak and Aaron?"

-"Yeah, daddy is helping a lady. She is scared of a ghost that she saw. But no, Zak and Aaron are not here."

-"Oh." Emma was quiet for a moment. "You'll make it better daddy. The lady won't be scared because you are there now, right?"

Nick smiled at his daughter's innocence.

-"Yep, that's right, princess." He grinned but his smile soon fell from his face when he realized her had to talk to Jennifer. "Is mommy around?"

-"Yeah, she is right here. Love you daddy!"

-"Love you to, baby girl."

Nick listened to the sound of Emma handing off the phone and happily chattering in the background. He then heard some strange scratching sounds, as if someone was putting their hand over the receiver.

"Let me talk to _him_ alone for a minute, Emma." He heard and cringed when she used the word him, as if using his name might leave a bitter taste in her mouth.

-"Nick?"

-"Hey, Jennifer. I am stuck in New York for an extra couple of nights, so I will have to put off seeing Emma."

-"I don't think so!" Her tone was harsh. "You had visitation tonight and tomorrow, that's it."

-"I haven't seen her in two months; I have every right to come see her when I want Jennifer!" Nick grounded out, starting to lose his cool.

-"Well that is not my fault your lawyer took so long to get you any sort of visitation." She said smugly.

-"What the fuck ever! You have kept her from me and you know it."

-"Whatever Nick. Call my lawyer when you feel like being a dad again. Emma deserves a full-time father in her life, not one that comes and goes when he wants and that chases things that don't exist..."

-"You knew when you married me my work took me out-of-town. In fact me going out-of-town helped your extra-curriculum activity."

-"Fuck you, Nick!" Jennifer screamed into the phone and hung up on him.

Nick angrily slammed his phone into the steering wheel, smashing the screen.

* * *

After taking off from the school and leaving one of the side doors unlatched for easy access later, I made my way home to change. My apartment was only a few blocks from the school so I usually just walked to and from work. It was the best way to get around New York City.

Just as I started to ponder the events that had transpired with Nick my phone rung. Seeing it was Sophie I answered without delay.

-"Evie! How did it go?" She asked immediately, before I could even greet her.

-"Well ... Not so great ..."

-"What why?" She cried.

-"The guy is a real ass! He was more interested in why he couldn't investigate the school himself then answering my questions about why I saw that ghost and what he wanted from me." I felt my anger starting to flare up again.

-"Did you tell him that Mr. Young already had a meltdown when you asked him if they could investigate when Nick first contacted you?"

-"No." I stopped on the corner and waited for the light to turn green. "He never gave me the chance!"

-"That's messed up. Maybe he was just having a bad day." Sophie said thoughtfully.

I shrugged, quickly falling into step with other pedestrians as the light turned green for us to cross.

-"So what are you doing now?"

-"Going home. I need to change."

-"Change? Why?"

I hesitate for a moment, not sure I should tell anyone that I was planning on breaking and entering into the school. Well it wasn't really breaking in, I had left the door ajar. It was more like entering after hours. But I was going in the school with a man I hardly knew ... It might be a good idea to tell someone...

-"I am going back to the school."

-"Huh?" Sophie paused. "Did you forget something?"

-"No I mean ..." I looked around to make sure no one was listening, which was ridiculous, no one cared about my business. This was New York City. You kept your head down and minded your own business here. "I am going back later with Nick, to do some investigating." I whispered into the phone.

-"Are you insane?!" Sophie cried into the phone so loudly that I had to move it away from my ear for a moment. "Do you know what Mr. Young is going to do to you if he finds out?"

-"He won't find out." I said firmly, turning the corner towards my apartment. "We'll go in, do some looking around and be out in a couple of hours."

-"Evie ..." Sophie sighed. "You know what happened to the last person that defied something he said no too ..."

I shivered at the thought.

Eugene Young was the principal of our school. His father had founded the school and it had been kept in the family. I actually always thought he was a little creeper and strange. He was against any sort of activities that might be considered fun. There were no parties, no dances and no after school activities unless they were of the academic nature. And the strictest rule was that no one was allowed on school grounds at night. The last history teacher that had my position had gotten a little too curious in the school's history and one evening he had stayed to late ... Mr. Young had found out and the teacher was promptly fired.

Now you might say that it is his school, he can fire who he wants. But the thing was that this teacher was never seen again. He never came back to get his stuff, he was sacked and never was seen again. I still had a box of his things in my office. A picture of his wife and son, an expensive engraved pen ... Things that someone did not leave behind.

-"I will be fine Sophie. I promise." I dismissed, trying to ignore that gnawing feeling of fear growing in my stomach.

My best friend was quiet for a moment as I approached my apartment and got my keys out.

-"Well, call me when you are done. I don't care what time it is, just call me, okay?"

-"Yes, mom!" I joked, climbing up the stairs.

Sophie laughed and we said our goodbyes. I quickly shoved my phone into my pocket and went to put the key into the lock of my door, only to notice that the door was slightly ajar.

_Weird ... I closed it this morning and none of my roommates should be home yet ... _I thought.

I bit my lower lip as I considered what I should do next. Maybe one of my roommates came home early ... I lightly tapped on the door and let it slowly swing open. With a loud, eerie creak it revealed part of the living room. The old navy blue couch and part of the coffee table peeking out. I craned my neck trying to get a better glimpse of the room and I was straining my hearing trying to pick up any sort of sound coming from inside the apartment, but I heard nothing.

Slowly I took a one tiny step through the threshold and then another. The floor boards groaned and I stopped. My heart was slamming hard into my chest; all I could hear was its loud beating. Not seeing anything out-of-place, I tip-toed further into the living room until I was in the center of the room. Everything looked the same as I left it this morning.

My half empty cup of coffee was still on the table. One of my roommate's magazines sat opened and face-down on the sofa. There was no evidence of any activity at all.

I felt myself relax a fraction. I probably just didn't close the door this morning. I did leave in a bit of a hurry...

With a soft chuckle at my silliness, I set my keys down on the table but as I did so the front door slammed shut so hard that the windows shook. I whirled around with a gasp only to find myself face to face with a man I never thought I would see again.

-"Hello Evelyn." The gruff low voice with a heavy British accent said.

-"Keane ..." I breathed out, trying to calm my racing heart.

* * *

Nick pulled his small rental car a block away from the school, thinking it was best to not park his car right in front of the school. He was going to be breaking into it after all. He had not done that since he had been a college student.

That had been before people opened their doors to him and his friends to come investigate their homes. Back then, they were just three punks looking for a cheap thrill. But now anyone that claimed their houses was haunted begged for them to come and investigate.

Well almost everyone. Evie was the exception to this. He couldn't understand why her boss was so against it, especially if his employees were having experiences that were freaking them out.

Nick sighed and turned the car off. Truth be told he wanted to be here. He loved this, lived for it. That feeling before an investigation. His heart beating a bit quicker from the anxiety of what he might find. His mind a whirlwind of thoughts and hypothesis of what he might face. The adrenaline boost pumping through his veins. It was an exhilarating feeling that no one could find anywhere else and he would be the first to admit he was addicted to it.

Glancing at the passenger seat beside him, his eyes landed on the broken cellphone. His heart sank a bit. He loved this so much that he was forgoing seeing his daughter ... Maybe he was a bad father ...

Pushing those unpleasant thoughts away, he quickly reached into the backseat for his backpack and got out of the car.

**oOo**

Nick waited near the school. He had left in such a hurry earlier that he had not asked Evie where she wanted to meet, and it's not like he could call or text her ... his phone was broken thanks to his earlier outburst of anger.

Lately it seemed like that was one of the only emotion he was capable of having. Anger ... Hate. It wasn't just a simple ire at a situation; it was something deeper, burning inside of him, trying to bubble out. He tried to keep busy, distracted himself with work. He took on extra cases of investigation; he even was working part-time at a local gym as a trainer.

All those things helped out a little, but only if he worked himself into pure exhaustion. He wasn't sure what was happening to him. One thing he was sure of though, he wasn't sure how much longer he could pretend he was alright...

He was started to snap at perfect strangers. Evie had been the recipient of that anger earlier today, but then again the woman was extremely frustrating. He couldn't understand why she had even contacted them. She was obviously not afraid of whatever had made contact with her. There was something so strange about her and he couldn't quite put a finger on it.

The sky darken and soon was soon filled with stars. It was only seven in the evening. The only reminder that it was not summer yet, despite the summer like temperatures.

Nick's mind drifted back to Evie. She was not what he had expected at all. When he first arrived at the school he really had been ready to deal with a woman in her sixties not a beautiful, blonde girl who just did not fit the history teacher stereotype at all. He thought Evie would look more at home selling clothing at forever twenty-one or maybe as a spunky waitress.

One thing he was sure about was that Evie Thompson was absolutely gorgeous to look at. With her extremely light blonde hair and light brown eyes he doubted she was single ... Not that it mattered. The woman was infuriating. He had only spoken to her for an hour and most of that time was spent arguing, and the rest of the time she had appeared unwell and she had even fainted. She was obviously nothing but trouble and he did not need more of that in his life.

No, he as here to investigate, get the evidence he wanted, then he'd go home and let Zak deal with whatever he found. No sooner than those thoughts came to him, Evie appeared from the shadows. At first all he could see was her dark form walking quickly over to him.

-"Nick?" He soft melodic voice carried to him.

-"Yeah, it's me." He took a few steps in her direction but stopped short at the sight of her.

Dressed all in black from head to toe. From a black pair of snug jeans to a black turtle neck she had this very ethereal look to her. Her pale hair and skin almost appeared translucent.

Nick swallowed thickly, trying hard to remember. He was here for a ghost. H

e couldn't help but notice how all her clothing fit so snugly to her that he could see every curve to her body. From her perfect hips to the contour of her breasts.

Ghost. He was here for a ghost.

Nick's eyes roamed the rest of her greedily when he finally looked at her face and saw her facial features strained. Something was wrong. She looked like she wanted to cry. Her eyes were rimmed with red and her lips were curved downwards in a sad pout.

-"Is everything alright Evie?" He asked, scolding himself after asking. He shouldn't care.

She nodded.

-"Yep." Her voice was high-pitched and she swallowed several times. "Fine. Let's get this over with."

Nick gave a curt nod.

Moments later they found themselves back inside the school where he had been a few hours earlier. The hallways were dark except for a few emergency lights. Nick dug in his pocket and took out a small flashlight.

-"Where did you see the ghost?" Nick asked.

-"In my office."

Nick nodded and waved his arm ahead of him, letting her know to led the way. When they reach her office, he set his bag drop on her desk and dug out a voice recorder. Wasting no time he pressed the record button.

-"This is Nick, in New York." Evie stood next to him, watching him carefully. "Is there anyone that wants to talk to us tonight?"

The room was silent for a bit before Evie spoke.

-"Don't you want to video record any of this?" She asked, seeming a bit more composed than earlier.

-"I didn't bring a camera." Nick said tightly. "I was planning on using my phone ... but it uhm ... broke."

-"Oh."

Over the next hour Nick asked a series of questions, sputtered out a few insults and promises to the spirits in hopes of getting some activity. But nothing happened.

-"Is it always like this?" Evie asked, taking a seat in her leather chair with a bored sigh.

-"Hell, sometimes it's worse." Nick chuckled as he leaned against the desk.

-"Worse?" Evie gasped. "I am already bored out of my mind and I'm ready to throw in the towel."

Nick chuckled at her impatience.

-"You'd make a terrible ghost hunter." He joked. "Sometimes we can go for hours without activity."

Evie swiveled the chair back and forth.

-"I don't do sitting around very well."

-"I can tell." Nick laughed at how antsy she was. As he did so, his eyes traveled the room, until it landed on the large window. "What is that?"

Evie looked over to the window and furrowed her brow.

-"What?"

Nick walked to the window and gazed out, spotting the large shed like building.

-"That."

Evie joined Nick.

-"I'm not sure ..." She pressed her face against the window. "It's just an old tool shed or something like that."

-"I don't think so." Nick glanced over at her. "Everything around here is well maintained, this is falling apart."

The building was only about a foot away from the school and its roof was only a couple of feet down from the window. The roof was overgrown with ivy and moss and Nick was willing to bet that whatever the building was it probably had more activity going on than in this office. Without another thought, Nick examined Evie's office window for a latch to open it.

-"What are you doing?"

Nick found the latch and with a little work it made a popping sound. With a loud creak the window opened.

-"I am going to check it out."

-"Are you insane?" Evie gasped.

Nick shrugged and hopped up on the window and sat on the ledge with his legs dangling outside.

-"I will bet your ghost came from in there. I am just going to have a quick look."

With that he let his body drop down and landed perfectly on the old roof. The metal shingles were rotting and were quite unstable. Without needed a flashlight he could already see several holes in the roof from decay. He walked a ways across to the other side before he turned around at the sound of a loud crash. To his surprise Evie stood on the roof with him.

-"What the fuck are you doing?" He snapped.

-"Coming with you."

Nick turned away from Evie suddenly feeling an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. This woman brought out strange feelings in him that he did not want to have. He did not want to feel an attraction to her. He couldn't.

Evie was halfway up the small slope of the roof when she gave a low cry and seemed to stumble. Concerned, Nick started for her immediately.

-"Did you trip? Are you – Ah Fuck!" He stopped in place as he saw that the roof had partly given way beneath her.

-"Stop, Evie. Don't move. Wait."

-"What's happening?" she asked, her face bleached of color. "Is it a hole?"

-"More like a fucking architectural miracle. We seem to be standing on a portion of a roof that should have caved in at least a centuries ago." Nick said, marveling at the old tin roof. Now that he was looking at it better, it was old ... too old to have people on it.

They were approximately five yards apart, with Nick on higher ground.

-"Evie," he said with great care, "slowly lower yourself to the ground to redistribute your weight over a greater surface. Easy. Yes, like that. Now you're going to crawl back down towards the school."

-"Can you help me?" she asked, and the tremor in her voice wrenched his heart.

He answered in a thick voice that didn't sound like his own.

-"Sweetheart, I would love nothing more. But my weight with yours could collapse the roof entirely. Start moving. If it makes you feel better, with all the debris in there, it can't be too far to fall."

-"Actually, that doesn't make me feel better at all."

White-faced, she moved slowly on her hands and knees. Nick stayed in place, not taking his gaze from Evie. The roof that seemed so solid beneath his feet was possibly nothing more than a layer of earth and ancient rotted tin.

-"You'll be fine." He said in a soothing tone, while his heart pounded with anxiety for her. "You weigh no more than a butterfly. It's my weight that's put a strain on what's left of the beams and joints."

-"Is that why you're not moving?" She asked, her voice shaking.

-"Yes. If I cause a collapse when I try to get off, I'd like you to be out of harm's way first."

They both felt the roof shift beneath them.

-"Nick ..." Evie asked, her eyes wide. "Do you believe in curses?"

-"No." He said firmly, trying to remain calm.

-"I didn't either, until this afternoon."

-"Why?"

-"Because an old ghost from the past told me I was cursed and I was going to die ..."

With that the roof collapsed, and they simultaneously plunged amid a torrent of earth, timber and metal into the dark space below.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Thank you for reading. Please leave me a comment, I love hearing from you!**  
**Check out my other stories as well please!**


	6. Chapter 5 - Down the Rabbit Hole

**Chapter 5**

**Down the Rabbit Hole**

I stirred and coughed. There was dirt in my mouth and eyes, and I was sprawled on a wretchedly uncomfortable surface.

-"Evie." I heard Nick shove debris aside as he made his way to me. His voice was unsteady and urgent. "Are you hurt? Can you move?"

-"Yes … I'm all in one piece…"

I sat up and rubbed my face. Evaluating the collection of aches and pains in my body, I decided they were all insignificant. "Just a bit bruised. Oh, shit." My hands patted my pockets frantically. "My phone is gone." I gasped in panic, patting my pockets a second time. Nick let out a foul curse.

Disoriented, I tried to make out what I could of our surroundings. Nick's lean form was a dark shadow nearby as he searched the rubble. Dust clouded the air, settling slowly. From what I could see, we were in a pit, perhaps six feet deep, with the streetlights drizzling in through the broken roof.

-"You were right, Nick. It wasn't far to fall." I said calmer then I felt, trying to make light of the situation. "Is this some sort of shed or something?"

Nick's breathing sounded strained as he replied.

-"I'm not sure. It could be some sort of crypt that is part of the school, we fell way further in then we should be—" In a burst of fresh terror, I launched myself at Nick's dark form, scrabbling to reach him in the dimness. "What is it?" Nick's arms closed around me. Gasping, I buried my face against the solid surface of his chest. We were half sitting, half lying amid heaps of rotted timber, stone, and earth. One of his hands came to my head, curving over my skull protectively. "What happened?" He asked confused by my strange reaction.

My voice was muffled in his shirt.

-"Crypt."

He smoothed my hair and pressed me even closer into the protection of his body.

-"Yeah, a crypt ... Why does that scare you?"

I could hardly speak between panting breaths.

-"Isn't that … where they keep bodies?"

The tremulous question hung in the air as Nick puzzled over it.

-"Oh. No, it's not that kind of crypt." A shiver of amusement ran through his voice, and I felt his mouth touch the rim of my ear. "You're thinking of one of the rooms beneath churches, where they do sometimes keep bodies. But I don't think this is that type of crypt ... It was probably a store-room or something."

I didn't move.

-"There are no s-skeletons in here?"

-"No. No skulls, no coffins." His hand continued to stroke tenderly over my hair. "Poor sweetie. It's all right. There is nothing scary down here. Take a deep breath. You're safe."

I continued to lie in his arms as I caught my breath. I tried to take in the fact that Nick, the very frustrating and annoying man, had called me "poor sweetie" and was petting me. His lips brushed my temple and lingered gently. Holding still, I absorbed the sensation. I had never been attracted to men of his size. I had always preferred men who were lank and of less intimidating stature. But he was strong and comforting, and he seemed so genuinely concerned, and his voice was like dark velvet wrapping around me.

But the feeling was all too short-lived when I felt his chest shaking and a laugh bubbled out of him.

-"Let me get this straight ..." He suddenly said. "You are afraid of very old dead skeletons but not of ghost that visit and talk to you?"

-"I - ..." But unfortunately I could not think of a good answer for him, because I had none.

Not that it mattered anyway; Nick gently eased me away from him.

-"Evie … I'm afraid we are not going to be able to find your phone in this mess."

-"It's alright, it's just a phone, I can get a new one."

-"Okay, good." Nick sat up with a quiet grunt of discomfort. "Now, if we stand on the highest pile of debris, it's only a short distance to the top. I'm going to hoist you up so you can get out of here, and you go find a phone or some help."

-"What are you going to do?" I asked, bewildered at the prospect of having to get someone to come here, I would lose my job if the school found out.

Nick suddenly sounded rather sheepish.

-"I'm afraid I'm going to have to wait here until you find someone to help me."

-"Why?"

-"I have a—" He paused, searching for a word. "Splinter."

She felt a sudden surge of annoyance at his words.

-"You're going to make me go look for help, probably put my job at risk so I can find someone to rescue you? All because you have a splinter?"

-"A large one." He volunteered.

-"Where is it? Your finger? Your hand? Maybe I can help to … Oh, God. " Nick roughly grabbed my hand and brought it to his shoulder. His shirt was wet with blood, and a thick shard of timber protruded from his shoulder. "That's not a splinter!" I said in horror. "You've been impaled. What can I do? Should I pull it out?"

-"No, it might be lodged against an artery. And I don't want to bleed to death down here."

I crawled closer to him, bringing my face close to his to examine him anxiously. Even in the shadows, he appeared pale and gray, and when I pressed my fingers to his forehead, I felt cool moisture.

-"Don't worry." He murmured. "It looks worse than it is."

But I didn't agree. If anything, it was worse than it looked. I was infused with panic as I wondered if he might be in shock right now, or even worse suffering from massive blood lost. I had to do something fast.

Spurring into action I stripped off my black sweater, and silently praising myself for wearing a t-shirt underneath it. I tried to lay it over his chest.

-"What are you doing?" he asked.

-"Trying to keep you warm."

Nick plucked the garment off his chest and made a scoffing sound.

-"Don't be ridiculous. First, the injury isn't that bad. Second, this tiny thing will not be keeping any part of me warm. Now, about my plan—"

-"It is obviously a nasty injury." I said, "And I don't agree to your plan. I have a better one."

-"Of course you do." He replied sardonically. "For Christ sake Evie, just do as I ask!"

-"No, I'm not going to leave you here. I'm going to pile up enough debris for both of us to climb out."

-"You can't even see down here, it's too dark, damn it. And you can't move the wood and stones. You're too small."

-"There is no need to be a jerk!" I said, lurching upward and taking in my surroundings. I identified the highest pile of debris, and I made my way to it, all the while hunting for rocks nearby.

-"I'm not being jerk." He sounded exasperated. "Your ... stature is absolutely perfect for my favorite activity. But you're not built for hauling rocks. God damnit, Evie, you're going to hurt yourself—"

-"Stay there." I said sharply as I heard him push some heavy object aside. "You will make your injury worse, and then it will be even more difficult to get you out. Let me do the work."

Finding a heap of blocks, I picked one up and lugged it up the pile, trying not to trip over the rubble.

-"You're not strong enough." Nick said, sounding aggravated and out of breath.

-"What I lack in physical strength," I replied, going for another block, "I make up for in determination."

-"How inspiring. Could we set aside the heroic fortitude for one fucking moment and try digging up some common sense?"

-"I'm not going to argue with you, Nick. I need to save my breath for"— I paused to lift another block—" stacking rocks."

* * *

Somewhere amid the ordeal, Nick hazily decided that he would not underestimate Evie Thompson again. Ounce for ounce, she was the most insanely stubborn person he had ever met. Dragging rocks and debris in the dark room, diligently crossing back and forth across his vision like an industrious ant. She had decided to build a mound, which would help them climb out of this hole, and nothing was going to stop her.

Occasionally she stopped and put her hand on his forehead or throat, checking his temperature and pulse. And then she would be off again. It was frustrating not to be able to help her— humiliating even to let her do the work without him, but every time he tried to stand, he became dizzy and disoriented. His shoulder was on fire, and he couldn't use his left arm properly. Cold sweat dripped from his face and stung his eyes.

**oOo**

He must have drifted off for a few minutes, because the next thing he was aware of was Evie's urgent hands shaking him awake.

-"Evie." He said groggily. "What are you doing here?" He had the confused impression that it was morning, and she wanted to wake him up.

-"Don't sleep." She said with an anxious frown. "I've built the pile high enough that we can climb out. Come with me."

His body felt as if it had been encased in lead. He was overwhelmed with weariness.

-"In a few minutes." He mumbled. "Let me rest a bit longer."

-"Now, Nick." Clearly she would bully and badger him until he obeyed. "Come with me. Come on, let's get up. Move."

Nick complied with a groan, lurching until he had staggered to his feet. A cold burst of pain radiated from his shoulder and arm, and a few helpless curses slipped out.

-"Over there." She said nodded to the direction she was guiding him in. "And don't trip— you're too heavy for me to catch." Profoundly irritated but aware that she was trying to help him, he concentrated on placing his one foot in front of the other and maintaining his balance. "Is Nick short for Nicholas?" She asked, confusing him.

-"Damnit Evie, I don't want to play twenty questions."

-"Answer me." She insisted.

He realized she was trying to keep him alert.

-"Yes ... it is." he said, breathing heavily. "It's Greek ... My mother she was really into all that old Greek mythology stuff." He paused to stare blearily at the pile she had made. "Well. Look how efficient you are. The next time I need renovations done—" He paused to catch his breath. "I'll make sure to hire you as my contractor."

-"Just think if I had some actually light to work in." She grinned. "I could have made real stairs."

He let out a huff of laughter.

-"You go first, and I'll follow." He grounded out.

-"Hold on to my pants." She said, tugging at the back her jeans, showing him where to grab.

-"Why, Evie, that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me." He joked, between spasms of pain.

They both climbed out together laboriously, while Nick's blood turned to ice and his wound ached and his brains went to mush. By the time he'd flopped to the top in an awkward sideways sprawl, he was infuriated with Evie for making him go through all that effort when he had wanted to stay in the pit and rest. The streetlights nearby were blinding, and he felt hot and strange. A ferocious ache had settled behind his eyes.

-"I'll get your car." Evie said, extending her hand out for him to hand her over the keys. "And I will take you to the hospital."

The prospect of having to climb down the roof and walk to the car was exhausting. But faced with her ruthless insistence, he had no choice but to comply. He would do what she says. He would fucking wait and walk to the car until he dropped dead, and Evie would appear at the hospital with his corpse in the car. Nick sat there fuming and boiling until Evie brought the car to the front of the school.

The anger and annoyance rolling inside gave him the strength for one last massive effort. With Evie's help he climbed down the top of the small shack and hobbled around the school grounds to the car, shivering with discomfort. Evie might have been small but she was strong. She never let him fall and stopped at every stumbled he had, and now all he had left to endure was the ride to the hospital. His resentment instantly evaporated as she started the car and put the car into drive. It was all replaced by incredible pain from the bumps of the road.

Through his haze of pain he heard Evie's voice.

-"Are you married?"

He merely shrugged, unsure how to answer that.

-"It's not really a hard question ..."

-"No ... Yes ... I am getting divorced." He grounded out, trying to concentrate on her voice and not the pain.

-"Oh ... how come?"

-"It isn't fair to ask personal questions when I'm nearly delirious. I might tell you the truth."

-"Why?" She persisted.

Didn't she realize she was asking for a piece of him, of his past, that he never gave to anyone? Had he been feeling even a little less near death, he would have told her to fuck off. But his usual defenses were no more effective than the broken roof they had just fallen through. He hadn't even told Zak about the details of his divorce. But here he was, going to open up to Evie.

-"Jennifer ... My soon to be ex-wife ..." It seemed impossible that he was going share this with Evie, but she seemed to expect that he would. And for some reason he was obliging her. "She was a beautiful woman. She loved to watercolor. Not many people are good at it, they're too afraid of making mistakes. You can't lift the color or hide it, once it's down, it's there forever. And water is unpredictable — you have to let it do what it wants to do. Jennifer knew that and she let it do its thing. She always liked the surprises of it." Nick paused as he swallowed thickly at the memories and pain it all brought. "I meet her while she was painting in the park ... I asked her out and that was that ... We fell in love. So easily. We never argued — At least not at first ... then Emma came along and things were good at first, but then Jennifer was getting mad that I was gone for work, she became distant ..."

He was quiet for a moment as he followed the memories as if they were leaves and twigs floating on a stream.

-"I probably should have listened to her when she said she needed me at home more ... but I didn't. Then one day I came home early and I found her with another guy ... a friend of mine at that. I guess the affair had gone on for almost two years and I didn't know about it."

-"I'm sorry." She said softly, when he fell silent. She covered his good hand with her own. "Truly sorry. I … oh, what a lame thing to say." She sighed at herself.

-"It's all right." Nick said. "There are some things in life that happen and there just aren't the right words for them."

-"I guess so." Her hand remained over his. "But you still have Emma, she will always be yours."

-"For now ..."

-"Why?"

-"Because it's a matter of time before Emma hates me, just like her mother. I am married to my job. Hell hunting ghost is more than just a job to me, it's my life. I don't just do it for TV, I do it because something inside me tells me I have too ... and after the shit I saw in Transylvania a couple of years ago ... " Nick trailed off, knowing he had said too much.

-"Why what happened in Transylvania?"

-"Shit that I would never have believed if I wasn't there ... I almost lost my best friend there too, and his wife. I need to keep pushing for the truth not just for me, but for them too. Jennifer didn't understand that. She doesn't care about any of that."

Both were silent for a bit longer but as soon as Nick started to drift again, Evie started to talk again.

-"Do you think you'll get married again?"

Nick shook his head no.

-"Because you still love her, your wife - ex-wife ..." Evie's voice was bleak. "That's why you won't ever get married again."

-"No. I love the woman I fell in love with years ago, but she isn't her anymore and that was a lifetime ago. And I can't ever go through this again. I realized that I love like a madman."

-"It might not be like that again, not everyone is like her."

-"No, I think it would be worse. Because I was only a boy then, and after everything I have seen ... I changed. And now who I am, what I need … it's too fucking much for anyone to manage." A sardonic laugh rustled in his throat. "I overwhelm even myself, Evie."

* * *

-"I will try his cell again, but it just keeps going straight to voicemail."

Zak paced the large living room as he watched his wife dial Nick's number for the hundredth time. It was not like Nick to ignore his phone calls. At least not when he called so many times in a row. He had even texted him the special code ... Something was definitely wrong.

It also didn't help that Ana had a vision, or whatever the hell it was she had. His wife was not clairvoyant, she couldn't predict the future but she did have a special connection to the spirit world. Anastasia was an empath, but just not any sort of empath, she could actually step into the world of the dead.

For years Zak had searched for answers. What happened when you died? He had found those answers with Ana. There was a whole other world, exactly like this one, except that the spirit of the people who died lived there, well some of them anyway. He still wasn't quite clear on why some people went there while others moved on.

But he probably would never get those answers now. The spirit world held a dangerous creature, one that wanted to take over this world and only Ana could release him if she ever step foot back there.

Ana was more precious to him than answers to those questions. He wouldn't risk her life, ever. But that didn't mean they were totally giving up. He was still investigating hauntings and gathering evidence to get his answers. He just had different reasons for it now. He did it now to find out how to stop this creature that lived in the spirit world from being released.

Even if Ana didn't step foot into the spirit world her life wasn't safe. The creature that called itself the Guardian had a following, a human following, which wanted to release the Guardian. They had already tried to kidnap Ana once; he didn't doubt that they would try it again. Plus he had more than just Ana to think about, he had a beautiful daughter. He couldn't risk anyone using her against him or Ana. The Guardian had to be dealt with.

-"Still no answer, it goes straight to voicemail." Ana said with an edge in her voice. "Maybe he just turned his phone off; he was supposed to spend the evening with Emma."

Zak shook his head.

-"No, he wouldn't turn his phone off like that ..."

Ana stood up and grabbed Zak's arm to stop him from pacing. He stopped short with an annoyed sigh but when he felt her soft hand cradle his cheek his face softened immediately.

-"He hasn't spent time with Emma in almost eight months, am sure the last thing he wants is to be bugged by us." Zak shrugged, not wanting to say more yet to Ana, he didn't want to worry her needlessly. "I'm sure he just forgot ..." But Ana's voice didn't reflect her statement, she sounded worried.

Zak wrapped his arms around her and gathered her closely. He dropped his head into the crook of her neck.

-"What about what you just saw ... you saw that girl again, with Nick."

Ana shivered at the memory but said nothing. Zak knew what she was thinking, the same thing he was, that Nick was in serious trouble. Moment later Aaron came rushing into the room.

-"Yo, Zak." He held his cellphone in the air. "It's New York City General hospital, Nick has been rushed in."

**oOo**

Everyone rushed about. Ana got a suitcase ready for herself and Zak, while Aaron called to make the soonest flight reservation for them to New York.

-"Are you sure you will be okay with her, Billy?" Ana asked as she handed Zak the luggage.

-"Fine, Ana! You worry too much." Billy tickled the small girl in his arms. She let out a loud giggle and tried to squirm free from his grip. "Zoe and I are going to have a blast. You guys just call me as soon as you know something about Nick."

Ana nodded as she took Zoe into her arms for a last hug while Zak gave Billy some last-minute instructions, and once goodbyes were said, Zak, Ana and Aaron all hurried to the car and took off for the airport.

-"I wonder where Keane went." Ana asked as she stuck her phone back into her purse. "I've called and text him and he isn't answering."

Zak glanced in the rearview mirror at Aaron and gave him a knowing look that Ana did not miss.

-"What?" She asked suspiciously.

-"Nothing." Aaron shrugged, suddenly finding something very interesting to look at out the window.

-"No, what!" Ana demanded again.

Zak cringed as his hands tightened around the steering wheel. But Ana was no fool. She knew something was up.

-"Zachary Alexander Bagans, you tell me right now what is going on." She frowned at her husband when he made no attempt to explain himself. "I thought we agreed no more secrets."

Zak sighed and lowered his head for a moment in resignation. He then took a deep breath.

-"I think that Keane might know what happened to Nick."

Ana laughed.

-"Don't be ridiculous." But seeing that Zak was not finding any humor in that statement she narrowed her eyes on him. "I thought we were past all this Keane suspicious stuff."

-"I thought so too ..." He glanced at Ana. "But where did he disappear too?"

-"I don't know." Ana dismissed, not wanting to have this conversation with him right now.

-"Well don't you think it's weird that he is gone but his car was still at the house ..." Ana didn't reply and Zak kept talking. "When we got back two years from Transylvania, Aaron, Nick and I all agreed on a code."

-"A code?"

-"Yeah ... if there is an emergency, I mean like life or death we text this code word. I texted Nick the word and he didn't respond. Something is wrong Ana, and I have a feeling that Keane and this mysterious girl that you keep seeing have a part in all that."

Ana said nothing. She didn't know what to say. She was stuck between worry for her friend and anger towards Zak for hiding things again from her. She just hoped the flight to New York didn't take long, so they could all get the answers they are looking for.


	7. Chapter 6 - Trust Issues

**Chapter 6**

**Trust Issues.**

During the drive to the hospital Nick had become monosyllabic, and he was heavily leaning on me thanks to the corners I took a bit too fast. He was shivering and sweating and his arm was a cold weight across my lap, which had flopped there some time ago. A good portion of my shirt stuck to my shoulder and side, where his blood had soaked it.

It took me some time to find the hospital thanks to city's twisting roads, one ways and detours, but I eventually found my way and stopped at the emergency entrance where a guard hurried to the car to help me.

-"There was an accident." I rushed out of the car and to the passenger side. "A piece of wood is lodged in his shoulder." The guard nodded and waved for some help, a male nurse was by my side moments later. "The wood has been there for at least an hour. He's very cold, and his speech is disoriented." I informed the nurse.

-"That's my usual way of talking." Nick said from the passenger seat as the nurse took a quick assessment of him. "I'm perfectly lucid." Nick tried stand up but as he started to get up he also started to slowly topple over onto the road.

Reaching down, the nurse with the name tag of Mark caught him and wedged his shoulder beneath Nick's and guided his good arm around his neck. The pain jolted Nick and caused him to grunt.

-"Oh, you fucking asshat." Nick grounded out.

-"You are most certainly coherent." Mark said dryly, not seeming bothered that he was being cursed at.

He guided Nick inside the sliding doors where several other medical staff were waiting along with a gurney. Everyone pitched in and helped Nick lay down on the bed and they immediately wheeled him away, leaving me behind with Mark who gave me an assessing glance.

-"Are you injured?"

-"No, no, I'm fine." I glanced down at my ruined shirt and noticed my hand had a cut on it. "It's his blood ... I just have a cut."

Mark nodded.

-"Here, let me clean that up for you." He led me to the nurses station and retrieved a few things to clean and bandage my wound. "Is he your husband? Anyone else we should contact for him?"

-"No ... I ..." I paused unsure how to answer. "He is from a show; he was investigating the place I work at when he got hurt. The only person I think you can call is his friends."

Mark nodded and wrote down the number I had in my phone. He then directed me to the waiting room, telling me in no uncertain words that since I was not family I would have to wait until his family was contacted.

**oOo**

I didn't have to wait long before a tall man came rushing by the waiting room seeming in a bit of a panic. He spoke with the reception woman who pointed at me.

-"Evie?" He asked approaching me.

-"Yeah?"

I stood up.

-"Hey, I'm Aaron, Nick's friend." He stopped near me and put his hand out. I reached out to shake his hand but to my surprise he pulled me into a tight hug. "Thank you for helping him." Aaron said.

-"Uhm ... you're welcome." I replied a bit uncomfortable.

Aaron let me go.

-"Zak and his wife Ana should be here soon but we had engine trouble in the plane so we had to switched planes. There wasn't enough room for all three of us, so I took the fastest flight to get here, which turned out to be faster than our original flight." I nodded and couldn't help but think he had made it here faster than I had expected anyone to make it. "So what the hell happened?"

-"Nick was investigating the school I work at and we saw an old building from my office. Nick wanted a closer look so he went out the window to the roof. I went after him but I think it was too much weight for the old roof and it collapse ... " I paused looking at the grimy old floor. "It's my fault ... if I would have waited when he told me ..."

Aaron shook his head.

-"No way, this isn't your fault. Sounds like that roof would have fallen even if you didn't get on it."

-"Mr. Goodwin, you can follow me to Nick's room now." A nurse interrupted us. Aaron gave me hand a quick squeeze. "I'll be right back, let me check on Nick."

**oOo**

I sat back down, but I didn't have to wait long before Aaron and the nurse that had left with Nick came out to get me, claiming that there was a problem and Nick was not cooperating. When I arrived to the exam room I found several staff people crowding around his bedside.

Nick was shirtless with a blanket over his legs. It shouldn't have surprised me, but Nick was in the middle of an argument with all three of his caretakers.

-"We don't need his permission." One of the doctors said to another. "We just need to knock him out."

-"The hell you will." Nick growled. "I'll kill you if you try—"

-"No one is going to force you do anything you don't want to, Nick." The second doctor interrupted, sounding exasperated. "But you have to explain your reasons for not wanting this, because you're not making sense."

-"I don't have to explain. You and this other quack can take that filthy stuff and shove it up your—"

-"What is it?" I asked from the doorway. "Is there a problem?"

Aaron was standing behind me in the hallway, his face taut with worry and vexation.

-"Yes, the problem is that my friend is a pigheaded idiot." He said, loudly enough for Nick to hear. He turned to me and lowered her voice. "The doctors say the wound isn't serious, but it could become very bad if they don't clean it properly. The piece of wood slipped in between the clavicle and the shoulder joint, and there's no way of knowing how deep it went. They have to irrigate the wound to remove splinters and clothing fibers, or it will get infected. In other words, it's going to be really painful for him. And Nick refuses to take any morphine for the pain."

I stared at him with bafflement.

-"But … he needs something to dull his senses."

-"Yeah. But he won't let them. He keeps telling the doctor to go ahead and treat the wound. As if anyone wants to do that sort of minor surgery on someone when a man is screaming in pain."

-"I told you I wouldn't scream." Nick retorted from the room. "I only do that when Zak starts to yap about himself and his empathic abilities."

Despite my concern for him and the situation, I almost smiled. Peering around the doorway, I saw that Nick's coloring was terrible, his sun-browned complexion lightened to an ashy pallor. He was trembling like a wet dog. As his gaze met mine, he looked so defiant and exhausted and miserable that I couldn't stop myself.

-"Maybe I can help?"

-"I sure hope so." Aaron replied, just as Nick let out a faint, pained chuckle.

-"Sure, let her help, I would so love to have someone else to argue with."

I entered the room, while both doctors moved aside. With an apologetic expression, I glanced at the doctor that seemed in charge.

-"Would you mind if I talked to him alone for a minute…?"

The doctor with the name tag, reading Ivan Eastman gave me a quizzical glance, clearly wondering what influence I thought I could have with Nick, but it was clear that his patience was running out and he was willing to try anything.

-"This is not typical procedure ... but a nurse will wait right outside to give him a quick shot in his IV."

-"And if that doesn't work." Aaron shot before leaving behind the staff. "Try a hard knock on the head with that tray over there."

I waited for everyone to leave and once the door firmly shut, I approached the bedside. I winced at the sight of the stake embedded in his shoulder, the lacerated flesh oozing blood. Since there was no bedside chair to sit on, I carefully perched myself on the edge of the mattress. I stared at him steadily, my voice soft with concern.

-"Why won't you let them give you the morphine?"

-"Damn it, Evie…" He let out a harsh sigh. "I can't. Believe me, I know what it's going to be like without it, but I have no choice. It's…" He stopped and looked away from me, setting his jaw against a new round of shivering.

-"Why?" I wanted to reach him so badly. I couldn't explain why I wanted to help and understand him, but I felt this undeniable need to be here for him. I wanted it so much that I found myself touching his hand. When he didn't resist, I became bold enough and slid my bandaged fingers beneath his cold palm. "Tell me." I urged. "Please."

Nick's hand turned and enclosed mine in a careful grip that sent a response through my entire body. The sensation was one of relief and a feeling of something fitting exactly into place. We both stared at our joined hands, warmth collecting in the sphere of our palms and fingers.

-"After Jennifer's affair ..." I heard him say thickly. "I did some bad things. Worse than I do now." He chuckled as if he had said something funny. "I found myself trying some stuff ... to dull the pain of her, you know, fucking around on me. Some guy I met ... he said he had stuff to take my mind off shit." Nick paused as he felt my hand tighten in reaction. "I got in pretty deep ... into drugs. I hid it from the guys, you know. It was no big deal at first, but one day I went to this place ... You could smell the smoke all down the street. The air in the building was brown with it. The people who owned the joint took me to a room filled with men and women lying all over the place, they were mumbling and dreaming." Nick paused and swallowed thickly. "The way their pipes glowed … it was like dozens of little red eyes winking in the dark."

-"It sounds like a vision of hell." I whispered, unable to believe what I was hearing.

-"Yeah. And hell was exactly where I wanted to be. Someone brought me a pipe ... and with the first draw, I felt so much better, I almost cried."

-"What does it feel like?" I whispered, captivated by his words. My hand clutched tightly in his.

-"In an instant, everything is right with the world, and nothing, no matter how dark or painful, can change that. Imagine all the guilt and fear and anger you've ever felt being lifted away like it was nothing."

I listened and let Nick's words sink in and as much as I should have been appalled by his secret, all I could feel was compassion for him. I understood the pain that had driven him to such measures.

-"But the feeling doesn't last." I murmured.

He shook his head.

-"No. And when you come back down, you're worse off than before. You can't get any pleasure from anything. The people you love don't matter. All you can think of is the drugs and when you can have it again."

I stared at his partially averted profile. It hard to believe that this was the same man I had so harshly judge only hours ago as someone who looked and seemed selfish and shallow. But the truth was, he was anything but.

-"What made you stop?" I asked gently.

-"I reached the point at which the thought of going on was too damned exhausting. I had a gun in my hand ... But this friend of mine, a guy that I never thought was my friend ... Keane, he's the only one that knows, he saw me struggling with this addiction. He stopped me. He told me I had to stop grieving for the woman who I never did have. That dying wasn't the answer in all this." Nick gave a half-smile. "He said my daughter deserved better ... and he was right." Nick looked at me then, his eyes a riveting blue-green. "So I stopped and let Jennifer, the girl I thought I knew go. I swore to leave the drugs behind too, and I haven't touched the fucking stuff. Fucking hell, Evie, you don't know how hard it was. It took everything I had to turn away. If I go back to it even once … I might find myself in the bottom of a pit I could never climb out of. I can't take that chance. I won't. Not for my little girl."

-"Nick…" She saw him blink in surprise at her soft tone. "Take the morphine." I said. "I won't let you fall. I won't let you turn into a drug addict again."

His mouth twisted.

-"You're offering to take me on as your responsibility."

-"Yes." I said with sincerity.

-"I'm too much for you to manage."

-"No." I said decisively. "You're not."

He let out a mirthless laugh, followed by a long, curious stare. As if I were someone he ought to know but couldn't quite place. I could hardly believe that I was perched on the edge of his bed, holding the hand of a man I barely even knew and had just pledge to keep safe.

-"Trust me." I urged.

-"Give me one good reason."

-"Because you can." I said simply.

Nick shook his head slightly, holding my gaze. At first I thought he was saying no. But it turned out that he was shaking his head in rueful wonder at his own actions. He gestured for the IV that hung near his bed.

-"Okay, let's do this shit." He muttered. "Before I have a chance to change my mind."

I quickly went to the door and as promised a woman in scrubs was patiently waiting on the other side. I gave her a curt nod and she came into the dark room. Without a word she took a small vial and filled a needle with clear liquid, she then injected it into one straight into his arm IV slot so it could take immediate effect. She gave me a quick smile and retreated for the door.

-"The doctor will be back in a minute." She then quietly left, leaving Nick and I to wait for the medicine to take effect.

-"Your hands… " Nick said suddenly, reaching for my bandaged fingers. The tip of his thumb brushed gently over the surface of my nails.

-"It's nothing." I whispered. "Just a few scrapes."

The hazel eyes turned hazy and unfocused, and he closed them. The pained grooves of his face began to relax.

-"Have I thanked you yet." He asked. "For hauling me out of the pit?"

-"No thanks necessary."

-"All the same … thank you." Lifting one of my hands, he cradled my palm against his cheek while his eyes remained closed. "My guardian angel." He said, the words beginning to slur. "I don't think I ever had one until now."

-"If you did." I said with a small smile. "You probably ran too fast for her to keep up with you."

He made a quiet sound of amusement. The feel of his shaven cheek beneath my hand filled me with astonishing tenderness. I had to remind myself that the morphine was having this effect on him. This feeling between us wasn't real. But it seemed as if something new was emerging from our new found friendship and a thrill of intimacy went through me as I felt the ripple of his swallow in the space beneath his jaw.

We stayed like that until a noise from the doorway caused me to turn around, startled. The doctor and Aaron entered the room. Aaron glanced at Nick's relax form and gave me an approving nod.

-"Good to see he took the medicine." The doctor said. "This will make it much easier on him. And more importantly, on me." He teased.

-"Screw you." Nick replied mildly, slitting his eyes open as the doctor and two nurses went to the bedside.

Reluctantly, I pulled away from Nick and retreated to the doorway, Aaron followed closely behind.

-"I'll be out here while they clean you up man." Aaron shot as he gave me a gently push out of the room.

The door shut and Aaron turned to me.

-"I'm not sure what went down in that room, but thanks for helping him."

I nodded.

-"He was just being difficult, that's all."

-"That is Nick's middle name lately."

-"Well maybe he has his reasons." I glanced at Aaron who was now looking at me with surprise.

-"What did go down in that room?"

-"We just you know ... talked."

-"About?" Aaron paused. "You two seem to be sharing this little secret ..."

I laughed awkwardly.

-"No, he just told me about his ex-wife ... and how it's hurt him."

-"You … you mean he has talked about Jennifer?" Aaron's blue eyes turned round. "He talked to you about her?"

I nodded. Aaron seemed caught off guard. Taking my arm, he drew me further along the hallway, where there was less risk of being overheard.

-"What did he say? He never talks about her with us ... or what even happened."

-"He just told me about her ... that she used to like to watercolor, and that's how they met." I replied hesitantly, unsure how much I should say. "And that she cheated on him ... and he was very hurt."

Aaron was silent for a good half-minute.

-"He's been so quiet about the whole thing." Aaron started with a certain stillness in his voice. "We all been worried but every time we even mention her name he loses it ..." He paused. "Evie."

-"Yes?"

-"Nick never talks about Jennifer with anyone. Ever."

I blinked.

-"He was in pain. He'd lost blood."

-"I don't think that is why he confided in you."

-"What other reason could there be?" I asked with difficulty.

It must have shown in my face, how much I dreaded the answer. Aaron stared at me closely, and then shrugged with a rueful smile.

-"I said too much. Sorry, I do that, you know, freak people out. I just want to see my best friend happy, you know..." He paused before adding. "I think you can use some of that happiness too."

-"I assure you, Aaron, one has nothing to do with the other."

-"Uh huh ..." Aaron mumbled with a grin, and went back to the doorway to wait.

* * *

**Somewhere in Upper Manhattan**

-"Well it's about bloody time you showed up, Mr. Young."

Keane swiveled around in the expensive leather chair to face the portly looking man who just walked through the office door.

-"Had an emergency at the school. Someone got hurt." He walked straight to the bar and grabbed the nearest clear decanter.

-"You wouldn't have any emergency if you wouldn't have hired Evie."

Eugene Young poured a healthy amount of whiskey into the crystal glass and gulped down the liquid fire.

-"She's a good teacher and she needed a job."

-"Bullshit!" Keane barked with deadly menace that made Eugene jump. Keane stood, his full six-foot three frame dwarfing Eugene. "You are playing a very dangerous game. I hired your family to keep the building running. I told your ancestors I did not give a bloody shit what was going in there, as long as it was kept busy and not abandoned." Keane slowly strolled to the bar; he grabbed one of the fancy crystal glasses and stared at it. "If you did that then I would keep your family living well and in luxury for as long as it suited me."

Eugene watched Keane as fear creeped into his stomach.

-"And we have done that."

Keane examined the crystal cup.

-"Yes, you have ... Until I came to you and specifically told you to not hire the woman, Evie." Keane threw the cup at the wall and it shattered loudly into a million pieces.

-"I am so sorry ..." Eugene trembled. "B-but she is a good teacher ... "

Keane put his hand up for him to stop talking.

-"No matter. Now I have to clean up this bloody mess you made. Your silly little building is sitting on a very important piece of land."

-"Yes sir, I know, my father told me, just like his father told him, it's a portal, between worlds."

-"That's right, it is and since my last portal was closed, I need to keep this one open!" Keane glared at Eugene. "I have to keep Ana away from it and most of all separated from Evie ..."

Eugene shook, but unable to resist he felt the word leave his lips.

-"Why?"

Keane gave him a chilling smile, one that he knew that if he ever told his secret, death would be too sweet of a reward for him ... a far worse fate waited for him if he told this creatures secrets.

-"Ana is a key ... the only one in this world, she can go to and from the worlds as she pleases and take anyone she wants. But Evie ... She is the opposite, she can end that world and everything that lives there, including my chances at killing the Guardian and getting the one thing I have been after for centuries."

-"What is that s-sir?"

-"My wife and humanity back … and I don't care who I have to kill to get them back."

* * *

**A/N:**

**As always please leave me some comments and reviews, I love hearing from you all! Please follow/favorite this story to know when I update!**

**I have a new story called Awakening. Please check it out. It's a modern-day Merlin/Arthurian tale told through the eyes of a very unique woman :)**


	8. Chapter 7 - Revelations

**Chapter 7**

**Revelations**

After the wound had been cleaned and bandaged, Nick was left gray-faced and exhausted. He slept for the rest of the night and day, only waking occasionally to notice that he was being moved to a whole new hospital. To a private center where he could get better care and have more privacy, or something like that, he couldn't quite remember what they had told him.

The staff was merciless in their efforts to take care of him.

As he had expected, the morphine sent him into nightmares, filled with creatures rising from the earth to claw and pull at him, tugging him down below the surface where red glowing eyes blinked at him in the dark. Trapped in a narcotic daze, Nick couldn't quite awaken from the dreams, and when he did wake up he found himself struggling with a strange heat and in misery. But most of the last thirty-six hours were spend with hallucinations. His imagination not lacking any thanks to his years at chasing ghosts and demons.

The only respite was when a cool cloth was applied to his forehead, and a gentle, comforting presence hovered beside him.

-"Jennifer? Ana?" He mumbled in confusion.

-"Shhhh…"

-"Hot." he said with an aching sigh.

-"Lie still."

He was vaguely aware of two or three other times when the cloth was changed … merciful coolness applied to his brow … a light hand curving against his cheek. When he awoke the next morning, he was tired, feverish, and in the grip of a profound gloom. It was the usual aftermath of opium, of course, but the knowledge hardly helped to ease the overwhelming dreariness.

-"You have a mild fever." Aaron told him in the morning. "It spiked during the night but the worse of it seems to be over. There's no sign of infection either. Just rest today and you'll feel much better by tomorrow."

-"My mouth tastes like ass." Nick muttered, smacking his parched lips, reaching for a glass of water by the bed. "And I'm not going to stay in bed all day." He took a long drink.

Aaron looked sympathetic.

-"I get it, dude. You don't feel sick enough to rest, but you're not well enough to do anything. All the same, you have to give yourself a chance to heal, or—"

-"Screw this; I am going to find some real breakfast."

-"Its way past breakfast and they will bring you something here."

Nick scowled and rubbed his face, wincing at the fiery pull of his shoulder.

-"Where is Zak. I want to talk to him." Nick ordered, feeling annoyance creeping.

-"He isn't here yet, he is stuck in South Carolina, his plane had issues and now some storm is moving through. There is no flight in or out."

Nick sighed dramatically and let him eyes roam the room. The room he was in now was much cheerier then the last one. With light pink flower wallpaper and light yellow drapes, the room almost looked like a nice hotel.

-"Where am I?" Nick asked, doubtfully.

-"At a private recovery center. The media got wind that you were in the hospital after an injury so we decided it was best to move you, just in case ... we don't want a repeat of Zak's media adventure."

-"Where is everyone else? Keane, Ana?"

-"Ana is with Zak and Billy is watching Zoe." Aaron conveniently ignored the whereabouts of Keane. "And I got a few things to go do, so I'm afraid there is no one to entertain you." Aaron teased with a grin.

Nick greeted Aaron's statement with surly silence. And then he brought himself to ask for the person he truly wanted. The person who hadn't bothered to look in on him or ask after his welfare even after she'd promised to help him.

-"Where's Evie?"

-"The last time I saw her, she had just gotten back from her apartment with a stack of papers to grade, she was in the cafeteria—"

-"She can do it here."

Aaron's face was carefully blank.

-"You want Evie to do some work in your room?"

-"Yeah, go find her, since I apparently can't leave."

-"Oookkkayyy ... " Aaron said, looking doubtful.

Aaron left in search of Evie just as a nurse came in to help Nick wash up and change into a pair of sweatpants and a clean shirt that someone must have brought up from his suitcase. Another nurse then brought in a small tray with a single piece of toast and some tea.

Nick gobbled up the pathetic breakfast all the while morosely staring at the empty doorway. Where was Evie? Had Aaron even bothered to tell her that he wanted to see her? If he did, she was obviously ignoring him. Callous, cold-hearted girl.

And all this after she promised to be responsible for him. She had persuaded him to take the morphine, and then she doesn't even show up when he asks for her!

Well, fine, he didn't want to see her anyway. If she decided to grace him with her presence he would tell her to get lost. He'd show her ... If she showed up he'd tell her that being alone is much better company then hers. Yeah that would show her.

-"Nick?" His heart gave a leap as he saw her at the doorway, dressed in a dark blue t-shirt and tight black jeans; her light golden hair was up in a loose hasty bun. She held a book in one hand and a manila folder with several papers stuffed inside. "How are you this morning?"

-"Bored shitless." Nick said with a scowl. "What took you so long?"

-"I thought you were still asleep."

Nick grumbled as he watched Evie moved around the room. She opened a window to let the breeze and sunshine in. She took his breakfast tray out to the hallway and gave it to a passing nurse. When she returned to Nick, she laid her fingers on his forehead to test his temperature as if it was second nature to her. Nick caught her wrist, and they were both motionless for a moment. He stared at her in recognition.

-"It was you." He said. "You were in my room last night."

-"I'm sorry?" She laughed awkwardly.

-"You put a cool cloth on my forehead ... More than once."

Evie's fingers curled lightly around his. Her voice was very soft.

-"Yes because I would forgo sleep and stay here all night with a man I barely knew ..." But they both knew she had. The gloom of the room suddenly seemed might lighter, especially when Nick saw the concern in her eyes.

-"How is your hand?" He asked, turning her scraped fingers to inspect them.

-"Much better, thanks." She paused. "I heard you wanted some company?"

-"Yes." He said promptly. "I guess you'll have to do."

Her lips curved into a small smile.

-"Great." Nick wanted to pull her against him and inhale her scent. She smelled light and clean, like mint and lavender. "I have just have a few more papers to grade, I could read them to you." she asked. Nick made a skeptically face. "My students wrote a report on Balzac. Do you like him?"

The day was improving rapidly.

-"Who doesn't?"

Evie sat in the chair by the bedside.

-"I think he rambles off point way to much for my taste. I prefer a novel with a bit more of a plot, but I asked my students to do a report on him and frankly I can't remember much about his books so I have been trying to get through this one." She held up the brown hard cover book.

Nick grinned at Evie's face of distaste she made.

-"With Balzac." Nick said. "You have to give yourself up to it. You have to wallow and roll in the language…"

Evie seemed surprised.

-"How do you even know about Balzac?"

-"What? Just because I hunt ghosts for a living and broadcast it on TV doesn't mean I am a total idiot." He paused and looked closely at her small oval face. She was pale, and there were shadows beneath her eyes, no doubt as a result of having visited him so many times in the night. "You look tired." He said bluntly. "It's my fault, sorry."

-"Oh, no it wasn't you. I went home for a bit but I had nightmares so I just came back here."

-"What were the nightmares about?" Her expression turned guarded. He knew he was threading on forbidden ground, but Nick couldn't help from asking. "Are the nightmares about the ghost you saw? Or something else entirely?"

Drawing in a sharp breath, Evie stood, looking stunned and slightly ill.

-"I should go."

-"No." Nick said quickly, making a staying gesture with his hand. "Don't leave ..." He searched his mind quickly for something to keep her here. "I need company— I'm still suffering from the effects of the morphine that you convinced me to take." Seeing her hesitation, he added, "And I have a fever."

-"A mild one." Her eyebrow quirked.

-"Please, I might die of boredom if I stay here alone ..."

She looked aggravated for a moment, but she then burst out laughing despite her efforts to hold it in.

-"Really, Nick? That's a little melodramatic don't you think?"

-"Just sit and start reading." He ordered and to his surprise, the masterful approach actually worked. Evie resumed her seat and opened the book to the first page. She pushed back her bangs from her eyes — a meticulous little gesture that she did often but he absolutely adored.

-"Un Homme d'Affaires." She read in a surprising good French. "A Man of Business. Chapter one."

-"Wait." Nick interrupted Evie. She glanced at him expectantly and he chose his words with care. "Can we talk about you, at all?"

-"For what reason?"

-"I'm curious about you."

-"I don't like to talk about myself." She avoided his gaze. "I am not interesting."

-"You see, that's proof of how interesting you are. There's nothing more tedious than people who like to talk about themselves. Zak's the perfect example." He grinned innocently.

Evie looked down at the book as if she were trying very hard to concentrate on the page. But after just a few seconds, she looked up with a grin that turned his spine into jelly.

-"I think your friend would probably disagree if he was here to defend himself." As Nick gazed at her, he felt the same inexplicable flourish of warmth, of happiness, that he'd experienced yesterday, before their mishap at the school. "What would you like to know?" Evie asked carefully.

-"Was that man, the ghost you saw the first one you have seen?"

"No ... I was five or six and I was walking home from school. I lived in a very small town, everyone knew each other, nothing bad ever happened there." Evie smiled fondly. "So kids walking home from school were normal, no one worried since everyone looked out for each other. I walked home with a group of older boys and we would walk by this creepy old house every day. Well one day they dared me to go in. I did of course; I couldn't let those boys think I was a coward."

A smile curved her lips.

"I was always a bit of a rebel." Nick grinned, not surprised. "So I went in ... It didn't take long for me to see her, the woman in a long white dress. She was staring at me from the top of stairs. I thought she was real at first and I told her I was sorry, I thought no one lived here, but she didn't answer, she just stared at me, and then disappeared."

-"That must have scared the shit out of you." Nick said gently.

-"Oh it did. I ran home, crying."

-"What did your parents say when you came home crying?"

-"My mom was more upset that I went into that house by myself and told me to never even walk by that house again."

-"She said nothing about the ghost?"

-"She said she wouldn't have her daughter turn out like the rest of her family. She forbad me to even mention it again."

-"That's harsh."

Evie gave a sad smile.

-"My mother was like that ... But I am not sure I could blame her since that is about the age I started seeing auras -" Evie clamped her mouth shut.

-"Wait ... what?" Nick sat up and pinned Evie with a serious look. "Evie ... what are you not telling me?"

She was silent for a long moment but Nick waited patiently.

-"I ... I can see peoples auras."

-"So when you look at me?"

-"I can see a faint glow around you ..."

-"For everyone?"

She nodded, chewing on her lower lip, drawing his attention to the enticing softness of her mouth.

-"Holy shit ..." Nick mumbled. If she saw auras there could have been a reason why she had seen that ghost.

-"It scared my mother to death that saw auras ... she had priests try to rid the evil spirits from me, they all said I was possessed by a demon. Soon after that I never mentioned it again. I was too afraid too."

-"I don't blame you." He said softly. "What did your father say about it?"

-"I'd rather not talk about that."

-"Even after what I told you ... my dirty little secret?" He gave her a chiding glance, not the less bit regretful he was using guilt to get information out of her. "It can't be worse than what I told you about myself."

-"All right." Evie took a deep breath. "I don't remember much of it, but it was a few months before I turned five ... my parents were arguing about something, I'm not sure what ... They kept talking about her, they kept saying her, that she had gone missing and maybe it was for the best. They worried that I would turn out just like her. My father then distances himself from me. We never talked or did anything together. When I was eight my mother fell ill and my father thought it was to much of a burden so he paid a woman to look after me until my mom died and then he sent me away to live with my aunt and grandmother. I never heard from him again. For all I know, he might be dead."

-"I'm sorry." Nick said. And he was. Genuinely sorry, wishing he could somehow have gone back to comfort the small girl she once was, who had been abandoned by the man who should have protected her. "Not all men are like that." He felt the need to point out.

-"I know. It wouldn't be fair of me to blame the entire male population for my father's wrong-doings."

Nick became uncomfortably aware that his own behavior hadn't been any better than her father's in a similar way towards his own daughter. He rarely got to see her, which was partly his own fault for working too much.

-"I hope my daughter doesn't grow up to hate me ..." He said sadly.

-"Nick, your daughter wont hate you for something you can't control." Evie said with conviction.

-"I might not be the one controlling the situation right now, but I could have made different choices ... not worked so much."

-"You can't be faulted for following your dream and helping people. Your daughter will know that."

Nick stared at her closely, more than a little surprised.

-"You really think so?"

-"Oh, I know so; you put off bad guy airs." Evie smiled. "But you are sort of growing on —" She broke off abruptly.

-"Growing on what?" Nick prompted. "What were you going to say?"

-"Nothing."

-"You were going to say something. Maybe along the lines that you like me even though you didn't at first."

-"No way!" Evie said outraged, but Nick saw the twitch of a smile at her lips.

-"You find yourself irresistibly attracted by my good looks?" He suggested. "My fascinating conversation?"

-"No, and no."

-"Seduced by my brooding glances?" He accompanied this with a waggish swerving of his brows that finally made the laughter bubble out of her.

-"Yes, it must have been those."

Settling back against the pillows, Nick regarded her with satisfaction. What a wonderful laugh she had, light and throaty and something he could become addicted too. In fact she would be a problem. He felt feelings growing for her and he was not ready for any sort of affection from anyone right now.

-"You know when I get out of here we are going back to that school to find your ghost."

Evie nodded.

-"I didn't expect anything less from you."

With that Evie got to work on some her papers and left him lost in thoughts. He had let himself fall madly in love with Jennifer all those years ago and he had nearly lost everything as a result of love. He would be an idiot to risk it a second time.

* * *

-"I can't believe we are stuck here!" Zak paced past the bed for the hundred time.

-"If you keep walking back and forth like that you are going to wear a hole in the floor." Ana joked, watching her husband.

-"I fucking hate waiting." He grumbled, suddenly stopping and turning to Ana.

-"I know you do." She stood from the bed and took the two steps that separated them. "But we can't control the weather." Ana wrapped her arms around Zak's waist and looked up at him. "I know your worried about Nick, but Aaron told us he was fine. The injury was minor and he is getting excellent care."

-"I know ..." He sighed and wrapped his arms around Ana, giving her a tight hug. "But I won't feel better until I am there ... and something about this whole things feels ... off."

-"You just want to get into that school to see what is going on." Ana teased with grinned.

Zak's chest rumbled as he chuckled.

-"Am I that obvious?"

-"I've been with you long enough to know when my husband is itching to hunt some ghosts."

-"Ohh is that so?" Without warning, Zak scooped up Ana into his arms. She let out a surprise squeal and grabbed onto his neck tightly. He carried his wife and unceremoniously dropped her onto the bed where she bounced a couple of time. "Well since you know how much I hate being idle, and since you know me so well, you can figure out something to keep me entertained until we can get the hell out of here." He mischievously grinned down at Ana.

She quirked her eyebrow at him.

-"Oh, I am sure we can think of a thing or two to do."

* * *

**A/N:**

**This wasn't an incredibly exciting chapter, sorry about that, but I promise much excitement is to come!**

**Thank you for reading :) Don't forget to vote/follow/favorite this story!**


	9. Chapter 8 - It Started With a Kiss

**Chapter 8  
It started with a kiss.**

It was past midnight and I could not sleep.

Then again being in a strange place to sleep was always hard for me. I was still at the private rehabilitation center where Nick had been taken too. I was only here because Aaron didn't think it was such a good idea that I go back to my place alone because of some issues with the media. Someone at the hospital had told the gossip reporters that Nick had been hurt.

Even though he wasn't a major celebrity, someone hurt on the job made great headlines. They had also gotten wind that Nick had been on an investigation with a mystery woman, hence me, and none of the other guys from the team. The media was going to have a field day with several new wild claims.

Aaron didn't go into details but he and the Ghost Adventure's crew were quite leery of the media and they were just being extra cautious with having me stay here. So here I was, in a room next to Nick's.

I stared sightlessly in the darkness. With a sigh I started to kick at the bed sheets, getting them off from my legs, trying to find a more comfortable position to sleep in. I tried my side, my stomach, but nothing felt right. The private rehabilitation center was more like a fancy hotel with nurses than anything else, but regardless of how homey the place was I could not shut my mind off.

To keep busy, earlier in the evening I had spent my time texting Sophie, who promised to come by in the morning. Sophie was my best friend so I natural told her everything. From the crazy fall I had to the even more insane attraction I had felt between Nick and me. Although I had not told her about Keane. No one knew about him. He was my shameful secret that was apparently back to haunt me.

With a groan I angrily flopped onto my back, but no matter what I did I was left wide awake. I was lonely and achy. The worse kind of awake. I tried to occupy my mind with counting sheep. I summoned the images of clear blue skies and a grassy field with tiny little sheep, all nicely jumping one by one over a wooden fence.

But soon the image in my mind distorted and Nick appeared, standing there with a cocky grin.

I had spent the day with Nick, he had watched me while I corrected some papers and he listened intently when I read some passages of those reports to him. He had teased me and there had been just a general relaxed air between us. But there had been a great deal of flirting ... on both our parts. So by the time I had left him to get some rest I was about ready to burst from the sexual tension in the room.

The good news in all this was that his fever had broken and he was ready to be dismissed in the morning. But suddenly the thought occurred to me that his fever might come back. He might need some water, or some medication. The staff might have forgotten about him.

With that I left the bed and snatched up my robe before I could think twice. With bare feet, I crossed the wood floors into the hallway which was darkly lit and quiet. When I reached his door it was partly opened so I just slipped in without a sound. I tiptoed to the bed just like I had the night before. I couldn't explain why I wanted to make sure Nick was alright, but I did. I felt this pull to him and I couldn't fight it and I wasn't sure I wanted too.

The darkness of the room was penetrated by a few strands of light from the open window. I could hear the soft and steady flow of Nick's breathing. Making my way to his side, I reached out tentatively, my heartbeat thickening as she laid my fingers on his forehead. No fever. Only smooth, healthy warmth. Nick's breathing fractured as he awakened.

-"Evie?" His voice was sleep-thickened. "What are you doing?"

Suddenly busted I felt awful regret for having come into his room. Any excuse I gave now would sound false and stupid, because there was no rational reason to have bothered him.

Awkwardly I started to mumble.

-"I … I came to see if…"

My voice died away. Any excuse would make me sound like a stalker of some sort. I began to draw my hand back from his forehead but he caught my wrist with remarkable dexterity, considering that it was dark and he was barely awake. We both went still as stone. I was caught over him, my wrist imprisoned in his grip. Nick pulled some tension on my arm, forcing me to lean farther over him, until I lost my balance and fell on him in a slow topple.

Terrified of hurting him, I scrabbled to brace my hands on the mattress, as he used my panic movement to lever me more fully onto his body.

-"Nick," I whispered, "I didn't—"

His long hand curved around the back of my head, and he brought my mouth down to his. It wasn't a kiss, it was a possession. The sudden heat of his tongue thrusting inside my mouth drained me of all anger and thought. The masculine scent of his skin filled my nose. Erotic and delicious. It was almost too many sensations to take in at once … the hot silk of his mouth, the tight grip of his hands, the hard masculine contours of his body.

The whole world slowed down as Nick turned with me in his arms, half pinning me to the bed. His kisses were rough and sweet, which involved his lips, teeth and tongue. Gasping, I reached around his neck and bandaged shoulder. He moved expertly over me. He was big and dark, and kissing me as if he wanted to devour me.

The folds of my robe open, revealing the boxer's and tank top I had brought from my place. Nick's mouth suddenly broke from mine and he began a slow search of my throat, following the tender nerve paths down to the place where my neck and shoulder met. His hands slipped under the thin tank top and hitched the fabric up hastily. His head lowered and his lips slowly descended at the slope of my breast until he reached the tip. Taking me into his mouth, he warmed the cool bud with slow strokes of his tongue.

Ragged moans rose in my throat, mingling with the pants of his breath. Nick settled heavily between my thighs, giving me all his weight until I felt the hard length of him pressed intimately on me. He sought my other breast, closing his mouth over the peak and tugged wetly, creating waves of pleasure deep inside of me.

Nick tore himself away from my breasts and took my mouth with long, drugging kisses, while his hips had begun a subtle rhythm, nudging and sliding, using his erection to arouse me. I twisted beneath him, desperately trying to follow his hard rhythm. Our bodies pressed together tighter then pages of a closed book, and it felt so right, so wildly freeing, that it frightened me.

-"No," I gasped, pushing at him. "Wait. Please—" One of my hands accidentally pressed against his injured shoulder, and Nick rolled off me with a curse. "Nick?" I scrambled off the bed and stood there, shaking from every limb. "I'm so sorry. Did I hurt you? What can I—"

-"Go." He growled.

-"Yes, but—"

-"Now, Evie." His voice was low and guttural. "Get the fuck out or let me finish ..."

So I did the only thing I could. I fled.

**oOo**

After the worse night of sleep, I fumbled around the room in a hurry to get dressed. What had possessed me to go to Nick's room last night? A stupid impulse, I thought dully. A moment of madness. I should never have given in to it. There was no one to blame but myself.

I dressed with painstaking care, coiling my wild hair in a loose bun and put on a pair of jeans and t-shirt. I tried hard to keep up with my traditional routine to keep my mind away from last night, but as I finished with my hair a voice from behind me startled me.

-"Looking lovely as always, Evelyn."

I cringed at both the use of my full name and the man using it. I spun around to face him.

-"Ever heard of knocking, Keane?" I glared at the man from my past.

I wasn't sure why Keane was back but he and I had a past that I wish I could forget. I had a questionable past ... One that I have worked hard to put behind me. After my mother died, I had only been sixteen and put into the system. That was when I started to steal. I was good at it too, never got caught, at least not until I ran into Keane.

I was almost twenty and I had heard of a man who collected rare things. Things that people would pay a fortune for on the black market. The place had been Keane's apartment. He had of course caught me, because Keane was no regular human. He had powers like I had never seen before. He was faster than a regular person and stronger, and that was how I also started my first real relationship.

You could say we were doomed from the start. Neither one of us trusted each other. I knew he wasn't human, but he saw potential in me, he thought me things that no other person could do, like how to use my sight of people auras to my advantage. He also said there was so much more that I could do, but I wasn't ready to learn them yet.

Keane and I were together for six months of my life. He told me all the right things, bought me the sweetest gifts. I thought we had the perfect relationship. We went on many heists together, stealing thousands of dollar's worth of stuff weekly. Keane had always showed concern for me, asking me hundreds of questions about myself and my family. Little did I know, he was snooping. He was getting information from me and when he got what he needed he just disappeared.

But not before making one last promise, that if I ever spoke about him he would turn me in for all my misdeeds. Over the six months that we were together he had collected thousands of pictures and video of me stealing. Since that day, I changed. I went to back to school and tried to return almost everything that I had stolen anonymously. I was not that girl anymore; I was not a thief and con-artist. But that didn't matter, Keane was here and I was stuck to do what he said, for fear of being exposed.

Keane shrugged and gave me a bored look.

-"Is that anyway to treat an old friend?" He asked.

-"We are not friends. Remember you told me to stay away from Nick when you broke into my apartment."

-"I did, but I see that you did not heed my warning."

I started to feel slightly nervous.

-"I – It's not my fault, he was investigating the school I work at! He got hurt; I couldn't just leave him -"

Keane held up his hand.

-"Relax, girl, I am not here because of that. In fact disregard everything I said. I need your help."

-"What?"

-"That ghost that visit you, we are going to find out what he wanted and the guys from Ghost Adventures will help you."

**oOo**

I entered the cafeteria and spotted Aaron right away. I nervously straighten my shirt and headed towards him, my mind still reeling with the conversation I had just had with Keane. He somehow knew about the ghost and he wanted to know more about him. He said he knew who the guy was but we had to figure out what he wanted from me. Keane had not elaborated anymore and I wasn't so sure I wanted to know more than I needed to know.

Part of me was still terrified of who he was and the other part of me was still slightly infatuated with him. I knew what Keane was. I had figured out his secret long ago. He was some sort of immortal man. He was a warrior, in charge of another world, a world where the ghosts wandered. He was not a man to be trifled with, I had witness this to many times over the time we were together.

Sitting down in front of Aaron, he looked up and gave me a bright smile.

-"Morning Evie."

-"Hi, Aaron."

He was on his phone but as I sat down he quickly swiped the screen off.

-"Listen, Nick is getting discharged today and he is bound and determined to go back to the school. But he has to take it easy. Please tell me you are going to help me keep him busy so he doesn't go back there." Aaron gave me a pleading look.

-"Why can't you watch him?"

-"I unfortunately have to meet with the network producers. We didn't have permission to go to that school, so they are pissed off, especially since he got hurt." Aaron paused and seemed unsure on how to continue. "Nick's been ... different lately." I nodded, understanding his meaning. "He is okay on camera but off camera he is hard to deal with. The network is annoyed about it and they want to temporary replace him. I need to go convince them otherwise."

I nodded unsure what to say. That seemed rather unfair for Nick, but before I could mention how lucky Nick was to have friends like Aaron, Keane sat down next to Aaron.

-"Sup, mate." He nodded to Aaron.

-"Hey! Where the hell did you come from?" Aaron asked eyeing Keane suspiciously. "You just like disappeared from Ana and Zak's place."

Keane shrugged.

-"Oh you know me. I have my ways." He gave Aaron a brilliant smile.

I watched a bit puzzled.

-"You know each other?" I asked surprised.

-"Yeah. Keane here is the newest addition to our crew." Aaron returned Keane's smile. "Why do you know him?"

I looked at Keane unsure what to say but he answered for me.

-"Evie and I go way back, isn't that right, luv." Keane winked and Aaron eyed us suspiciously but gave a cautious nod. "Anyway, I overheard your dilemma with Nick and I believe I have a suggestion for you."

-"At this point I will try anything short of stuffing him a closet." Aaron said desperately.

-"I have an estate in the Hampton's. I merely use it as a stopping point when I am flying through, the rest of the time I rent it out for vacationers. It's vacant at the moment." Keane nonchalantly examined his fingernails. "It would be the perfect place for Nick. He would be far away from temptation, but not far enough that you could not drive to him. It quite lovely this time of year as well. Nick would get his rest." Keane's gazed moved to me. "And Evie here could stay with him to make sure he stayed out of trouble."

Aaron mulled this over for a moment, but as soon as Keane had mention the house in the Hampton's I knew Aaron was already sold on the idea.

-"Sounds awesome, Keane." Aaron nodded. "I'll get a hired driver to take him and Evie there as soon as he is discharged. You don't mind do you Evie?"

-"Uhm ..." I hesitated, avoiding Keane's sharp gaze. "I don't know ... I still have to work ..."

-"Nonsense. I am sure you can take a few days off." Keane scoffed. "She will be happy to go with him. I will join them in a couple of days to check on them."

Aaron stood up with a smile, seeming relieved.

-"Awesome! Evie we own you one, girl. Let me call Zak and let him know, he will be relieved."

As Aaron walked away I could help but glare at Keane. I wasn't sure what he was up too, but I hated being manipulated. Especially by this man. The prospect of being alone with Nick for a few days seemed like a very bad idea.

**oOo**

After going home to pack, I returned to the rehabilitation center. I had called Sophie to tell her what was going on, promising that I would see her soon. I had not seen Nick since our kiss the night before and I was rather hesitant on seeing him again. But Nick was discharged and was just waiting for a nurse to take him down to the car waiting for us. I thought it best that we get the awkward first meeting over with before we were stuck in a car together for an hour.

I entered Nick's room, acutely self-conscious of myself. Nick was seated in a wheelchair patiently waiting for the nurse to return. As soon as I entered I was more than aware of his eyes on me. The room was so quiet that I thought for sure he could hear the pounding of my heart. I walked to the window and glanced outside, just for the need to do something, unsure what to say I spoke the first thing that came to mind.

-"Aaron got us a car, its waiting." I stated the obvious and immediately wished I said something else.

-"Yeah, I heard ... everyone is trying to keep me out of trouble, so I am being shipped out of town for a while ... with a babysitter."

-"They are just worried about you."

I gazed sightlessly at the boring picture on the wall in the room. Silently hoping that we were going to pretend that what happened last night never did. But to my dismay Nick spoke.

-"If you want an apology, you're not going to get one."

I turned to face him.

-"I'm sorry?"

Nick was quiet for a moment seeming to search for the right words.

-"When you visit a man in his bed at night, don't expect coffee and a nice little chitchat."

-"I wasn't visiting you in your bed. I mean you were in your bed, but it was not my intentions to find you there." Aware that I was not making any sense, I resisted the urge to smack myself on the forehead.

-"At two o'clock in the morning," Nick informed me, "I can nearly always be found on a mattress, engaging in either of two activities. One is sleeping. I don't think you need a picture of what the other is." He said crudely.

-"I only wanted to see if your fever came back," I said, turning crimson. "Or if you needed anything."

-"Apparently I did."

I suddenly had never felt so extraordinarily uncomfortable. All of my skin had become too tight for my body.

-"Are you going to tell anyone?" I brought myself to ask, purposely avoiding his gaze.

One of his eyebrows arched mockingly.

-"Afraid I might tell all the dirty secrets?" Nick waved his hand in the air as if dismissing the whole thing. "Don't worry, I won't say anything. Anyway I usually enjoy gossip that enhances my male prowess and there is nothing to tale in this case."

Blushing, I went to the single plastic bag on the bed that contained Nick's ruined clothing. I nervously started to arrange things inside the bag and looking on the bed to see if anything had been missed.

-"Did I hurt you?" I managed to ask, recalling how I had inadvertently pushed on his wounded shoulder. "Does it feel achy this morning?"

Nick hesitated before replying.

-"No, it eventually went away after you left. But hell knows it wouldn't take much to start it up again."

I was suddenly overcome with remorse.

-"I'm so sorry. Should we tell the nurses so they can give you another pain-killer or something?"

-"Another pain killer?" He repeated blankly. "On my … oh. We're talking about my shoulder?"

I blinked in confusion.

-"Of course we're talking about your shoulder. What else would we be talking -?"

-"Really Evie?" Nick looked away from me as his shoulders started to shake with suppress laughter. His voice held a tremor of humor.

-"Oh my god, Nick!" I gasped getting his meaning. "You are talking about your…" A wild blush raced over me. "Well, I don't care if you are achy there!" I tried to feint outrage at his crude words but it was hard not to laugh. "I was talking about your shoulder!" I snapped, hiding the humor in my voice.

-"It's much better," Nick assured me, his eyes bright with amusement. "As for the other ache—"

-"That has nothing to do with me," I said hastily.

-"I beg to differ."

Suddenly all my defenses were down and I knew there was only thing left to do. Run away

-"I am going to wait for you downstairs!"

I took off with speed, leaving a chuckling Nick in my wake.

* * *

It had been three days since the accident and Nick had been shipped to the middle of nowhere. Actually that was not a very accurate description of this place. It was more like a mansion with everything that you could possibly want. Except for decent cell service or any sort of way of leaving.

Keane's little house in the Hampton's was more like a small county that belong to him. The large house was almost impossible to keep track of. Nick had been here three days and still had not seen everything there was to see. The house was three floors and had an old English type feeling to it, but with all the modern-day things a person could need. The giant mansion even had a full crew of personal who took care of the cooking, cleaning and gardening.

So all Nick had to do here was relax, take it easy and unwind. It was driving him insane! He wasn't sure he could take one more day of this. He was not one to sit idle for long and his shoulder felt much better. So why was he still stuck here? Because Zak had asked him too.

Nick knew he had put the show in jeopardy by going back to investigate that school when he had no business being there, and for that he felt awfully guilty.

-"Dude, I get it, you are hurt and pissed off by what is going on with your divorce." Zak had said over the phone the first night Nick had been at the house. "And we all have been really supportive of you, giving you your space and shit, even when we saw you being self-destructive." Zak had sighed sadly. "We probably should have said something and I guess I haven't been a good friend, I been so busy with Ana ... and I am sorry bro. But this shit stops now. You got to get your head straight."

Nick had felt like he was being scolded by an angry school teacher for not doing his homework.

-"Look I know I been ... difficult lately, but -"

Zak didn't let him finish.

-"We are like family and I fucked up by not being there for you more, but I am here now. I told the network that you just had a slip up and it will never happen again, I swore to them Nick. It's on my reputation now." Zak had said seriously. "If you fuck up again we all get sacked."

Nick sighed, wishing Zak had never done that. The show meant everything to him, he had worked hard to get it where it was now.

-"Dude ... I'm sorry, I know I been a fuck up lately but I swear I will try better," and Nick meant it.

-"I know man, I know. That's why you have to stay there for a while, I'm taking you out of the team just for a while ..."

-"Zak .. Come on, I need to investigate ..."

-"No way, you need some time away, Nick."

-"So what the fuck am I going to do? I can't just sit around!" Nick had cried outraged.

-"Don't worry man. You are still going to be doing some work. This girl Evie ... you believe her story about this ghost she saw?"

-"Yeah, I do." Nick said without hesitation.

-"Good, cause Keane does too. He has an idea of who this ghost is."

-"What? How is that even possible?"

-"Who knows, something to do with him having contact with the shadow world. Even though he can't go to that world he still has some contact with it and he is working on tracking it down now. He is pretty sure the ghost name was Cole Walsh and he was from Chicago. That's about all he got though. What I need from you is to get more information. Find all the Cole Walsh's that have died in the past couple of hundred years and get addresses. You, Keane and Evie are going on a trip."

Some of Nick's gloom and annoyance disappeared at the prospect of still being able to do some investigation. But he had to wonder what the point was? Why was Zak suddenly interesting in Evie's sighting.

-"Why?" Nick asked.

-"Keane seems to think this ghost might know something about the Guardian. It's probably a long shot, but it's worth looking into."

Nick had agreed and hung up, promising to get back in touch with Zak when he had some information about their ghost.

Over the last two years Zak had followed any and all leads that might have been linked to the Guardian or Ana. All of them had been dead ends and Nick doubted this would fruit to anything, but it was better than just sitting around all day.

But three days later, Nick had gotten very little information. He had found several people with the same name on the internet who had died in the last hundred years but when he had made calls to the records department to get more information no one was ever available to talk to him. So now he had to wait.

It had also been three long days of avoidance and sexual tension with his babysitter, Evie. She had worked just as hard as him in avoiding him. He hardly ever saw her and when she did, she seemed so on edge it was almost impossible to have a full conversation with her. It also didn't help that his mind kept drifting back to the night she came to his room and the heated kiss they had shared.

Since his separation he had not looked at another woman, ever. They all just reminded him of one thing. Hurt and betrayal. Evie was no exception to this, in fact she fit especially well in this category. She was an extremely secretive woman, refusing to reveal anything about herself or her past. In fact, Nick was positive that Evie somehow knew Keane from before this whole incident but she denied ever meeting him. And despite all these giant warning bells, telling him to stay away, he couldn't seem to help the pull she had on him.

Nick leaned back in the fancy office chair with a groan. He had called the city hall four times today and every time he was transferred to a dead-end. He just wanted the records department. Glancing around the posh office Nick looked out the window to the vast garden, when he noticed the top of a very blonde head walking by his window. He knew it was Evie. No one had hair that blonde or so perfect.

Without hesitating he rushed out of the chair and headed out to the garden. It didn't take him long to find her near one of the duck ponds, gazing out at the family of geese that had made it their home.

-"Hey." Evie gasped startled and spun around. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you." Nick gave her a sheepish smile.

Now that she was facing him, Nick could see that she looked tired, with slight circles under her eyes and a certain pitched to her forehead, but she still looked breathtaking.

-"Sorry, I was thinking ..." She trailed off.

-"About what?"

Evie merely shrugged and turned back towards the water.

-"Have any luck on finding my ghost?" She asked.

-"Not yet." Nick came and stood beside her. "But hopefully soon." He paused. "Want to walk with me?"

Evie nodded and they set down the small path that led away from the house. The garden path was long and winding and went on for almost a mile. There were hundreds of variety of flowers and plants, almost of them in full bloom.

-"It's quite a lovely garden." Nick commented. Evie shrugged again, not seeming impressed. Nick couldn't help but chuckle. "Wow, I'd hate to see what a guy has to do to impress you."

-"What does that mean?" Evie snapped.

-"I just meant, this place, it's amazing but you don't seem all that impressed by it."

-"Oh ..." Evie laughed awkwardly. "It's just stuff ... it's pretty but I guess I just can't be bought like some people."

-"All women have their price." Nick said before he could think.

-"Seriously?"

-"Oh yeah, I think so. If you get her what she wants and give her the right distractions, she won't even be able to think and she will be putty in your hand."

-"Excuse me?" Evie gaped at Nick.

-"If you tell a women she is beautiful enough she will eventually just jump into bed with any guy."

-"Just because your ex-wife did it, doesn't mean we are all the same." Evie tried to say as calmly as possible.

Nick was actually not even thinking about Jennifer, he was just trying to get a rise out of Evie. Call him sadistic but he enjoyed his verbal sparring with her.

-"No, no, this isn't about her. It's just in general. If people are distracted enough, let's say by physical pleasure all their brain cells seem to disappear."

Evie let out a laugh.

-"I don't think so, not everyone is controlled by their hormones."

"I'm serious! Want me to prove it to you?" Nick added quickly.

Evie's luscious lips twisted skeptically. But then, as if she couldn't resist, she asked.

-"How?"

Taking her arm, Nick drew her to a more secluded area. Off the path was an old nursery he had spotted on his morning jog. They soon stood next to a glass house, which had several windows pane missing along with English ivy growing from every which way covering the small building. Nick glanced at their surroundings to make sure they were not being watched by any of the staff. Gardeners worked outside all day long and it was not unusual to pass by a few of them on a walk.

-"Here's a challenge for you and it will prove my theory is right. First, I'll kiss you. Directly afterward, I'll ask you a simple question. If you answer correctly, I'll consider that you might be right."

Evie frowned and looked away from him.

-"This is stupid," she said to no one in particular.

-"You can just say no and we will walk away," Nick told her.

-"I'm sure I can, but then that will mean you are right." Folding her arms across her chest, Evie gazed at him with narrowed eyes. "One kiss?"

Nick put his hands up and opened his hand exposing his palms, as if to demonstrate that he had nothing to hide. His gaze never left her.

-"One kiss, one question."

Slowly her arms loosened and lowered. She stood before him uncertainly. Nick was shocked. He hadn't actually expected her to agree to the challenge. He felt his heart begin to beat in concentrated thumps. As he stepped closer to her, anticipation tightened inside him into knots. Very gently he tilted her face upward with both hands. He saw her swallow hard. He had made her nervous. _Good,_ he thought darkly.

-"Are you ready?" he asked.

She nodded within the careful bracket of his palms, her lips trembling. Nick brought his mouth lightly to hers, kissing her with careful, undemanding pressure. Her lips were cool and sweet. Teasing them apart, he deepened the kiss. His arms slid around her, bringing her fully against him. She was slender but compact, her body supple. He felt her begin to mold against him.

Concentrating on her mouth, he explored her with tenderness, searching with his tongue until he felt the vibration of her soft moan between their lips. Lifting his head, Nick looked into her flushed face. He was so mesmerized by the drowsy look in her eyes that it was a struggle to remember what he'd meant to ask her.

-"The question," he reminded himself aloud, and shook his head to clear it. "Here it is. A farmer has twelve sheep. All but seven die. How many are left?"

-"Five," she said promptly.

-"Seven." A grin spread across his face as he watched her puzzle it out and when she did, Evie scowled.

-"That was a trick. Ask me another one."

-"That wasn't the deal," he said.

-"Another one," she insisted.

A husky laugh escaped him.

-"Damn, you're stubborn. All right."

He reached for her and lowered his head, and she stiffened.

-"What are you doing?"

-"One kiss, one question," he reminded her.

Evie looked annoyed for a moment but she tilted her head giving his full access as he pulled her against him again. This time he was not so tentative. His kiss was firm and urgent, his tongue sinking into the warm interior of her mouth. Her arms lifted and wrapped around his neck, her fingers delicately tangling in his hair. Nick went dizzy with desire and pleasure. He couldn't pull her body close enough, he needed parts of her he couldn't reach. His hands shook with the need to find to touch her soft skin. He kept trying to feel more of her, kiss her more deeply, and instinctively she tried to help him, sucking on his tongue with little sound of pleasure escaping from her. The hair on the back of his neck lifted as a chill of delight climbed up his spine to the base of his skull. He broke the kiss, gasping.

-"Ask me a question," she reminded him thickly.

Nick could barely remember his own name. All he wanted to concentrate on how he could get less clothing on the both of them. But somehow he obliged her.

-"Some months have thirty-one days, some have thirty. How many months have twenty-eight days?" He panted out.

She furrowed her delicate brow for a moment but her face lit up quickly.

-"One."

-"All of them," he replied gently.

He tried to look sympathetic as he saw her incredulous outrage.

-"Ask me another one," Evie said, furious and determined.

Nick shook his head, breathless with laughter.

-"I can't think of any more. My brain is suffering from a lack of blood." He grinned. "Accept it, Evie, you lost the—"

She grabbed the collar of his t-shirt and dragged him back to her, and Nick's mouth fastened on hers before he knew what he was doing. The amusement and laughter all disappeared. Staggering forward with her in his arms, he put out one hand to brace himself against the glass greenhouse. And he possessed her lips with rough, wholehearted passion, reveling at the feel of her body arching against his.

He kissed her without restraint, sucking, almost gnawing, and stroking the inside of her mouth. Before he lost all semblance of self-control, Nick tore his lips from hers and held her tightly against his chest. Another question, he thought dimly, and forced what was left of his mind to come up with something. His voice was hoarse, as if he'd just tried to breathe in fire.

-"How many animals of each species did Moses take into the ark?"

Her answer was muffled in his shirt.

-"Two."

-"None," Nick managed to say. "It was Noah, not Moses."

But he no longer found their little game amusing, and Evie didn't seem to care about winning. They stood together, gripped tight and close. Their bodies cast a single shadow that stretched along a garden path.

-"We'll call it a draw," Nick muttered.

Evie shook her head.

-"No, you were right," she said faintly. "I can't think at all."

They waited a little longer, while she leaned into the wild rhythm of his heart. They were both in a daze, mutually occupied with a question that couldn't be asked. Letting out an unsteady sigh, Nick eased her away. He winced as his dark jeans rubbed at his erection and was suddenly glad his t-shirt was a little long to conceal his problem.

Nick stood stiffly and awkwardly as he wondered what were they to do next.

-"Nick -" Evie started but stopped, her face was flush and she seemed just as lost as he.

But before Nick could offer any sort of comfort they were interrupted.

-"Nick? Evie? What are you two doing all the way back here?"

Glancing over Evie's shoulder Nick spotted Keane with a secret grin.

* * *

**A/N:**

**This chapter was slightly longer than expected and very fluffed filled, but it was fun wasn't it? ;) **

** I do hope you enjoyed. Please Follow/Favorite and review :)**


	10. Chapter 9 - A ghost named Cole

**Chapter 9**  
**A ghost named Cole**

The first thing I noticed wasn't Keane's voice interrupting us, it was how Nick's whole body stiffened and his hand wrapping around my wrist, protectively pulling me towards him. But he stopped the gallant act midway when he realized that the intruder was Keane. His hand dropped from my wrist with speed as if he had been burnt and I could help but feel slightly hurt by the act.

-"Evie?" A new familiar voice piped in from behind Keane.

In my mixture of emotions, from going to hot passion to shock from being busted, I had failed to noticed that Keane was not alone. Behind him stood Sophie.

-"Sophie?" I cleared my throat. "What - What are you doing here?"

-"Well I was at your apartment, I needed those shoes, remember those that you borrowed? Anyway I was looking for them when I ran into this guy here." She pointed to Keane with a giant smile. "He said he was a friend of yours and he was coming to see you, and he asked me if I wanted to tag along." Her eyes roamed over Keane with a lustful gleam. "You never told me you had a hot English friend!"

Keane gave a low chuckle and I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

-"I hope we aren't interrupting." Keane said with a grin.

-"No, no, we were just out for a walk!" I spoke quickly and a bit to high-pitched.

-"Ah, well I see you both found the old greenhouse. Nice spot, secluded, " he paused giving Nick a knowing look, "from prying eyes."

Nick had been silent during the whole exchange but he finally spoke up.

-"What are you doing here, Keane?" Nick asked curtly, as he starting to walk back towards the path. Everyone followed.

-"I found Evie's ghost."

-"You did?" Nick and I both said at the same time.

-"Yes." Keane grinned.

-"Good," Nick said. "Does that mean I am not grounded anymore and I can go back to work?"

-"Not quite." Nick was about to say something but Keane held up his hand to silence him. "Let's discuss this over lunch, I am famished."

**oOo**

We soon found ourselves in a short limousine car that had brought Keane and Sophie here. Although I was quite suspicious of what exactly Keane's plans were, I was quite thankful for the short outing. Even though the large estate Nick and I were staying at was quite luxurious and spacious I needed to get out, especially get some time away from my own thoughts, which was all I had the past three days.

My thoughts had revolved around my past actions and how I should have never trusted Keane. The other thoughts were even more annoying. They all centered on Nick.

Since the night in the hospital I had been left to wonder if he had actually meant to kiss me like he did or had I just been at the right place at the right time ... But after today's ridiculous little game that I couldn't back down from, because I have a "I must win complex," I was starting to wonder if there was more between us then I had suspected.

But that was ridiculous right? We had just met and he trusted women just as much as I trusted Keane. None at all.

-"So I can see why you volunteered to babysit, you just wanted to hog all these men to yourself." Sophie whispered next to me.

I glanced at Nick and Keane who were sitting in front of us, deep in conversation; I thought it safe to talk openly.

-"Seriously? When have you known me to _hog_ men, Soph?"

She let out a small laugh.

-"Never."

-"I am just here because Aaron asked me too, that's all. I am being nice." I tried to look away from Nick, but it was hard to. "I am just doing him a favor ..." I repeated.

-"Uh huh." Sophie laughed again. "Well I am glad I found your friend Keane. I can't let you have all the fun, now can I?"

I glanced at her and noticed she kept her eyes on Keane.

-"Sophie, don't count on him, he is bad news. Trust me on this, just stay away from him."

Sophie made a slight frown.

-"He seemed nice enough on the drive here."

-"He isn't. Do yourself a favor and stay the hell away from him." My tone turned heated.

-"Okay, okay, calm down girly." She squared her shoulders a bit. "I can tell when there are unresolved feelings in the mix."

I glared at her.

-"There is not." I grounded out, crossing my arms over my chest like a small pouting child, but she had struck a nerve. Sophie was right.

-"So where are we going?" Sophie asked the men.

They both looked at Sophie as if they had forgotten she was here.

-"Just a small place I enjoy eating at when I am in town." Keane said nonchalantly.

The car turned to an awkward silence until Nick spoke.

-"Sophie, you work with Evie?"

-"Yep. I teach English ..." She replied unenthusiastically.

-"You don't like it?"

Nick gave her a smile and I felt the need to help Sophie out.

-"Sophie's a photographer," I started. "Well, rather be a photographer ..."

-"Is that so?" Nick asked.

Sophie nodded emphatically.

-"I've been saving up to take a trip abroad, so I can really get some great shots…you know, expand my portfolio. I was thinking Italy or Spain, but maybe I should try England." She said staring at Keane with a secret smile.

I didn't respond but inwardly shook my head at Sophie's lack of subtlety.

When the car slowed to a stop, I looked out the window and found we'd arrived at our destination. The driver opened our door. Sophie was the first to get out and as she did, I could have sworn that if our driver had been a cartoon character his eyes would have bulged out and his tongue would have unraveled to the ground.

I wondered, at that moment, what it must be like to have such control over the opposite sex. Sophie was pretty, and never had a problem in find a new date every weekend, but I think it was more in how she carried herself that attracted more men.

I was just as pretty, maybe ... But I guess I didn't have any self-confidence. It was a disheartening thought, so I quickly dropped it. Keane scooted out of the car and Nick was next. But after scooting on the seat and getting out, my eyes couldn't help but lock right onto his backside. He wore dark blue jeans that were rather tight and left little to the imagination. The man had a perfect butt.

-"Evie?" Sophie asked from the outside, catching me staring at Nick's butt.

-"Sorry." I mumbled and hurried out of the car.

But thanks to my distracted thoughts I nearly tripped over my own feet as I got out. Nick's steel grip took hold of my arm, stabilizing me while I tilted my head and looked up into his smug face. Apparently, Sophie had not been the only one that had figured out where I had looked.

I quickly looked ahead and shrugged out of his grip.

Nick didn't seem bothered by it and followed behind us. Keane opened the restaurant door for us as Sophie mouthed an exaggerated "thank you." I followed her inside, eyeing him suspiciously for a moment, wishing I could read his thoughts, but Keane ignored me. Nick grasped the door from him and Keane headed for the hostess, giving his name.

I hated this, not knowing what was going.

Silencing a sigh of disappointment, I turned my attention to the vaulted ceilings, red walls, and black lacquered tables in the restaurant. Nick came and stood beside Sophie and my eyes automatically locked onto his face. Hundreds of candles lit the place and threw shadows against the angular lines of Nick's face. Talk about a Kodak moment.

-"Evie," Sophie said, getting my attention for the second time. When I turned, I found the hostess waiting for me so she could lead us to our table.

I nodded and brought up the rear. Keane sat down without a glance, while Nick withdrew a chair from the table and Sophie took it, her posture as regal as a queen's. I pulled out my own chair and took a seat even though Nick frowned at me.

I felt so conflicted. Between holding up my guard from Keane and the mixture of emotions Nick brought out of me, I was starting to feel exhausted. But I had to keep my guard up, even if it sent Nick the wrong message. I didn't want him to think I was upset at him, but Keane was danger and if Nick was his friend it meant I had to be cautious of Nick as well.

I turned my attention to Sophie who was chatting away about something. Her hands were so expressive; it looked like she was translating Homer's Odyssey into sign language. What is she talking about? I wondered. My loss on the conversation must have reflected on my face because Nick gave me a small smile with a shrug. He lifted his menu but kept his soft gaze on mine. A strange sense of warmth suffused me, and I couldn't help feeling close to Nick somehow. Sophie suddenly faced me, and I took this opportunity to get back into the mix.

-"What are you going to have?" I asked.

She frowned and glanced at the menu.

-"I don't know. I haven't had a chance to read it."

Finally silent, I didn't miss the look of relief on Keane's face and I tried hard to hide my amusement. My attention turned to my own menu. My appetite was almost non-existent, so I browsed the menu with indifference. I couldn't help but wonder if my less than stellar appetite had to do with the butterflies that swarmed in my stomach every time Nick looked at me.

Butterflies or not, I guess I had to order something. As soon as I decided on an albacore roll, the waiter appeared. After taking our orders, the waiter disappeared as quickly as he'd come.

-"Right then, let me brief you," Keane started right away, before Sophie had a chance to take over the conversation again. "Tomorrow morning we have a flight to Chicago. We leave at eight a.m. We are going to the location of Cole's murder."

-"Cole is the ghost," I whispered to Sophie, wanting to make sure she was included, suddenly extremely happy that she was here. I trusted her implicitly, and if I was getting into anything that might be considered dangerous, I needed my best friend looking out for me.

-"Was he the ghost who came to the school?" she asked.

-"Yes," Keane answered.

-"How can you know that?" I asked Keane without blinking.

-"I have my ways."

-"Well, please share them with us." I leaned back as everyone turned to look at Keane expectantly.

Keane gave a heavy sigh.

-"I can still communicate with spirits. After hearing of your experience it didn't take me long to find the ghost that appeared to you, well his name anyway, from there I just looked into city records and found him."

-"And what exactly did it say?" Nick asked.

-"Cole Walsh was killed in the 1920s in Chicago. I suspect he came to Evie to ask for help, to find who killed him."

Sophie clapped her hands together with a wide smile.

-"A murder mystery! I love it!" After a good thirty-second pause, her smile dropped, and her eyes narrowed as she faced Keane's. "Why don't you just ask Cole who killed him?"

I couldn't keep the snicker from my lips. That was a great question. Keane frowned and took an extraordinarily long swig of his water.

-"Well, Sherlock and Watson. Cole is in Chicago and it takes a lot of energy for a spirit to travel, and he came to Evie for help, not I. And I will assume that Cole never saw the person who killed him. The reports from the newspaper of that era say he was shot from behind."

-"Oh, that would explain it," Sophie said with an enthusiastic nod.

-"Once we're at the location…" Keane continued.

-"Why Evie though?" Nick asked suddenly.

Keane looked at me then at Nick. He gave a small smile, not a good smile, but one that said he knew something Nick didn't and he was about to tell one of my secrets.

-"Evie is very spirit empathic."

Nick's brow furrowed.

-"Like Ana?"

-"Not quite. Ana is special ..." Keane's face softened as he spoke of this girl. "She is unique. There is no one like her. She can not only speak to spirits she can enter their world. Evie can't do that. She is a lot like Zak, if you wish to compare her to someone. People who are as empathic as him is rare." Keane's eyes narrowed on me. "But she possesses a few more things that Zak doesn't." He finished cryptically.

-"Like?" Nick asked curiously.

I hated these two talking about me as if I wasn't here.

-"Is Cole's house still there?" I asked abruptly, interrupting Nick.

-"Yes, and I've ensured the current residents will be absent."

Sophie leaned forward, her eyes wide.

-"How did you do that?"

-"With the help of a little mental persuasion." When everyone looked at Keane expectantly he merely shrugged. "They just magically won a vacation out of town that needed to be taken on this weekend. I'm hoping it will only take a day."

I let out a sigh of relief. Well, at least he hadn't disposed of them. I was worried he might have done something drastic.

-"We will do a ..." Keane paused seeming to search for the right word. "A séance in the living room." Keane finished.

-"What will I have to do?" I asked, twisting a napkin in my lap.

Once I caught myself, I forced my hands to the table, not wanting anyone to realize how nervous I was. I knew how powerful Keane was, just from the small things I had seen him do; I hated to think what he could do that I didn't know about. Keane looked around himself and gave an arrogant nod—to whom I had no idea. Within moments, a waiter was at his side, bent on refilling his wine glass. Both Nick's and my glasses were still full.

-"You won't have to do much. I'll carry the bulk of the work. You'll just need to focus on Cole's spirit, and if this works, you'll find yourself as a spectator in 1922 when someone shot Cole in the head. All you have to do is find out who did it, and Bob's your uncle."

-"What?" I frowned.

-"Bob who?" Sophie asked.

Keane chuckled, and his whole body shook with the effort.

-"It's something we Brits say—similar to…and that's it."

-"'The only thing separating Americans and Brits is a common language'," I quoted with a grin, forgetting exactly who'd said it. Maybe Churchill? I wasn't sure. What a great history teacher I was ... I'd have to check my quote dictionary when i got home.

-"I don't understand, why would this ghost even care, he's dead. Move on!" Sophie tilted her wineglass back and took a long gulp.

-"It's not so simple." Keane said patiently. "This ghost traveled from Chicago to seek out Evie, there has to be a reason. I am only assuming it's what he wants. But we will find out when we get there.

-"Well, what if the killer doesn't say his name?" Nick asked.

Keane ran his fingers up and down the stem of his wineglass.

-"That's why I suspect Cole sought out Evie. She is mildly psychic." Keane grinned. "Isn't that right Evie?" He didn't wait for a reply. "She can pick up on things that most of us can't." He faced me. "Evie, you'll have to use your ability and your intuition."

Reality suddenly came crashing down on me like a breaking window, a shard of glass ramming itself into my stomach. I wouldn't call myself psychic and Keane knew that. I had dreams of things that sometimes did happen, or I would see a brief glimpse of someone's past or future if I shook their hand for example, but it was rare. In fact it had not happened in quite some time.

My visions were unreliable at best and now to have so much hanging on them…it left me uneasy. I guess this was different, though, because essentially, I was becoming one of my visions.

-"We'll have more than one go at it," Keane said, as if he was aware of my inner turmoil. "If we don't get it the first time, we'll have more opportunities. I'm hoping we'll have it by the end of the weekend, but again, it's not crucial if we don't. You can take as much time as you need, Evie." Keane said softly, giving me a brief glimpsed at the man I had trusted so long ago.

I relaxed.

**oOo**

The following day all four of us were loaded up on a plane bound for the windy city. Sophie was the same chatterbox and talked animatedly the whole trip, until it was time to get seated. Since our tickets were bought at the last minute we were all scattered throughout the plane, well almost all of us. By strange luck I was sitting next to Nick.

We hadn't spoken at all yesterday after Keane took us to lunch. When we got back from eating, Nick had taken off to his room and had locked himself in there for the rest of the night.

-"So you're a psychic." Nick said bluntly, minutes after the plane was set in motion down the runway.

He was not one for beating around the bush that was for sure.

-"Not really ..."

-"You can see some people's past and future, that's a psychic in my book."

I sighed.

-"It's not like that."

-"Why didn't you tell me when I first came to meet you?" Nick grounded out angrily.

-"I haven't had a vision in years!" I cried out, omitting the few times I had seen a woman and given her a dire warning. When some of the people around us looked towards Nick and I after my outcry, I lowered my voice. "And it's really none of your business."

Nick grumbled something inaudibly and I stared at the seat in front of me in frustration.

-"How do you know Keane?" Nick asked through his teeth.

My breath caught in my throat.

-"How - What makes you say I know him?" I squeaked out, my eyes guiltily looking down.

-"Because it's obvious you don't trust him and some of the things he said at lunch yesterday sort of gave it away."

I noticed Nick's hands were clinging tightly to the seat arm rest, so much so that his knuckles were turning white.

-"I -" Pausing, trying to gather my thoughts, I quickly searched my brain for something that would sound believable. "We met years ago ..."

Nick gave a curt nod and to my relief didn't ask any more questions. But as the silence between us stretched on, the more upset I grew. How dare he? He had no right to be upset at me for this, I hadn't done anything wrong, so why was he so mad?

The flight was a short one, barely an hour. When we landed in Chicago and were about to disembark the plane, but before I could stand, Nick put his hand on my arm and I felt the most peculiar tingling sensation. Surprised I looked at Nick, but he showed no indication of having felt anything.

-"I am just worried about you, Evie. This whole thing ... it feels weird, like something is not right."

-"Don't you trust Keane?" I asked, suddenly curious by his odd statement.

Nick was silent for a moment as people slowly filed down to the exit.

-"Yes and no. He has done a lot for Zak and he means the world to Ana ... and she trusts him. He's been a good friend to me the last two years too, but I think he is up to something and whatever it is, I won't let you be in the middle of it."

With that Nick stood up and left me to ponder his words. I didn't know who this Ana was, but she seemed to mean a lot to all these guys. She especially seemed to mean a lot to Keane and she could be the answers to finally getting him off my back.

**oOo**

My palms were sweaty and itchy.

As we sat in the living room of what was once the home of Cole the ghost, I thought about the task at hand and wanted to throw up. Forcing my less than attractive thoughts to the back of my mind, I focused on Nick's profile. Tracing his strong nose and chin with my eyes helped to calm me.

On the way from the airport to the small duplex, Keane had gone over what we would be doing, but I had not been listening. I had been lost in my thoughts but now that I stood here, I wish I had listened a bit better.

With my attention centered on Nick a feelings of calmness exploded through me and was soon replaced with more primitive and unwholesome thoughts. Remembering all the kisses we had shared, the way his arms had tightened around me, the feel of his powerful body pressed against mine ... I exhaled, hoping the images of us making out like two horny teenagers would float on my breath and right out of my head. I made myself take note of my surroundings, figuring that might combat my newly awakened sex drive, which was in overdrive.

-"Evie, are you ready?"

I turned at the sound of Keane's voice and found him watching me. I nodded. Keane directed me to sit on the floor. We both sat cross-legged, facing each other. Nick sat on the couch behind Keane, keeping a watchful eye on me. Keane extended his hands out to me and with a last glance to Nick; I took a deep breath and slipped my hands into his. A familiar current of energy coursed through me, one that I had not felt in years.

Keane had said because we were both people with a certain powers and I was rather sensitive to feelings, it was normal for me to feel our energies mingling together when we touched. Keane grasped my hands tightly and closed his eyes, I did the same. In the car he had explained that we needed to create a shield around us, all I had to do was envision a circle of energy around us. A shield against what, I didn't know and didn't want to ask.

-"When will Cole be here?" I whispered.

-"He is here." Keane replied.

My eyes popped open. Glancing around, I didn't see anything. My gaze returned to Keane, who still had his eyes closed.

-"He's sitting in between us, right in front of you."

Keane's words jolted through me, and it was all I could do to stay seated. I wasn't sure how comfortable I was with this whole ghost thing. I closed my eyes again and Keane tightened his grip, as if he were letting me know I'd be safe and more so, that I shouldn't be afraid of a ghost.

-"Okay, Evie. Remember what I told you in the car. We will be able to see the events that happened on that day in 1922. I'll be there with you the whole time." Keane paused, waiting for me to acknowledge my understanding. When I did, he continued. "I want you to focus on Cole being here in this house, and there's a man who will come through the door. I want you to scrutinize that man, until you know his face. Then use your abilities to find out who he is."

I tried, I really did. I concentrated like I've never concentrated before and…nothing. I opened my eyes and found Sophie inspecting her nails. Nick had stood up and was now pacing back and forth. Keane's eyes were still clamped shut, trying to get this strange spell to work. I closed my eyes again and focused on the ghost, trying to imagine a man shooting him in the head. All I could focus on was the intense heat of Keane's hands on my own.

-"Evie." Keane's voice interrupted my thoughts, sounding annoying at the fact that he knew I wasn't focusing.

-"Nothing is happening," I answered with a sigh.

-"Try again."

I closed my eyes and focused again, trying to get through the darkness of my eyelids. I wasn't sure what would happen or what I should be looking for but, undoubtedly, I wasn't finding it.

Two hours later, I still hadn't managed to see anything. Sophie was napping on the sofa, Nick was texting and Keane seemed quite over the whole thing as well—stifling a yawn and tapping his long fingers on his thighs. I still couldn't see Cole the ghost but I was sure he also would wear a face of frustration.

-"I think you should give her a break." Nick said from my side.

Keane nodded and with relief he let go of my hands. I wiped the sweat from my palms on my thighs. Tears of frustration stung my eyes, and I averted my gaze, not wanting anyone to witness the pathetic display.

-"Evie, you did well," Nick said, his voice was soft, and soothing. "I think you are just out of practice."

-"Practice?" I asked, not sure what practicing could help.

-"Yeah, it's like any skill, if you don't use it, you get rusty at it." Nick assured me, helping me stand up.

Keane gave a curt nod.

-"Yes, I agree, she is powerful, I can feel it. We shall resume after you rest for a bit."

Keane left the room with his phone in hand, seeming in a hurry to make a call.

-"Sorry." I mumbled facing Nick.

-"For what?" He asked curiously.

-"This whole trip depends on me ... if I can't do this, it was all for nothing.

Nick grabbed my hand and gently rubbed his thumb over mine, causing my skin to goose bump.

-"Don't be silly. When we go on an investigation there is never a guaranty that we will have any sort of activity, this is no different. But I know you can do this."

**oOo**

-"Evie, are you focusing?" Keane asked.

-"Yes," I snapped. "If I focus anymore I'm going to focus myself right into a coma!"

I hadn't meant for my words to sound so harsh, but by the small smirk on his face, I knew he didn't believe that I was telling him. He squeezed my hand.

-"Maybe we should try something else." Keane stood up and motion to Nick. "You sit with her."

-"What?"

-"Just ... humor me. Sit, I will still direct the energy, but I think you will be a better anchor for her."

Nick sat down and took my clammy hands in his.

I didn't say anything but nodded and closed my eyes again, focusing as hard as I could. I tried to envision the room around me, as it would've been ninety years ago, but still nothing. Of course, I didn't really know what was in style ninety years ago, so I couldn't make much of a mental picture for myself. I imagined a room with one of those old model radios—the kind that were about four feet tall, with a matching couch and loveseat with giant flowers, something that my grandmother would have owned. And a picture of Clark Gable. Was good ol' Clark even around in the twenties?

Some history teacher I was...

My head began to thud, as if rebelling against the idea of concentrating anymore, and my butt had grown numb hours ago. In fact, my entire body felt strangely numb. Deciding I'd had enough, I opened my eyes.

I was alone. I turned my head, expecting to find Sophie, Keane and Nick hiding behind a wall, ready to jump out and scare me, but it was eerily quiet. Where the hell had they gone?

Panic began to slowly spiral through my stomach, working its way up my throat until I thought I might retch. Needing to calm myself, I forced my attention to the hardwood floors, taking note of every fleck in the wood. The floors gleamed in the light as if someone had just cleaned them, which was odd, I could have sworn this place had carpeting.

My gaze shifted to the curtains, and that was when I realized I'd actually done it. I was in 1922 and in 1922; this house had curtains instead of blinds. I breathed in through my nose, out through my mouth, repeating the process until the nausea faded into oblivion. After realizing Keane couldn't be accounted for, I had to suppress the tide of anxiety welling within me. I guess I'd have to find out who killed Cole alone.

I perched on the edge of the sofa while my eyes traced the large floral pattern of the sofa and matching loveseat, trying to find a sense of calmness in the pink blooms. My attention shifted to the coffee table where a newspaper lay in dishevelment, its insides gutted across the table.

It was The Chicago Daily Times. I grabbed the section looking most intact. In large black print it read: What's Wrong with the Criminal Court? The strangest feeling of euphoria washed over me as I considered I was living history first hand. Strangely enough, the feeling made my stomach heave again. Not wanting to throw up, I started to breath slowly, inhaling counting to four and exhaling counting to four.

I wouldn't let Nick down.

Now, the only problem…where was Cole? I dropped the newspaper and stood up, deciding it was time to play detective. I needed to find Cole and fast. I wasn't sure how long I'd be able to last in this vision.

As I walked through the living room, I noted the black and white pictures of Cole with a pretty woman and a smiling baby. In the kitchen, I paused to take in the room. A white refrigerator and a white enamel kitchen range but my investigation was soon halted. At the sound of the front door opening, my heart dropped as if it had been on the top story of the Empire State building.

What would Cole do when he saw me?

Steeling my courage, I ventured into the living room where I watched Cole hang his fedora-looking hat on a coat rack. He walked as if he were en route to the hangman's platform. He turned, and his cold eyes drilled into me. I tried to come up with a plausible explanation as to why I was in his house, uninvited. He came closer, and if looks could kill, I'd have been pronounced dead on the spot. Cole didn't say a word and before I could duck out of the way, he walked right through me! It felt like a great wind blowing through my entire body.

I braced myself against the wall, having a serious case of jello legs. Okay, so I was the ghost in this situation. I couldn't say I was comfortable with that thought but forced it out of my mind; I couldn't let it interfere with my mission.

After getting my wits back, I followed Cole into the kitchen. He made himself a chicken sandwich, the whole time banging and slamming this and that. It didn't take a genius to figure out that he was upset about something. Then the front door opened, and I peered around the corner of the wall. A woman walked inside. I recognized her from Cole's family photo as his wife. She was pretty with short bobbed hair, wide set eyes, and a trim body.

Tears stained her cheeks, and the mascara smudges under her eyes gave her the classic raccoon eyes. She took her shoes off at the door. Her small feet covered with a sheer stocking barely made a sound as she marched right into the kitchen where Cole ate his sandwich. She didn't even bother putting her purse down or taking off her coat.

Before I could comprehend it, she pulled a pistol from her bag and aimed it at the back of his head. There was no hesitation before she pulled the trigger. I moved as if waist deep in molasses and tried to push Cole out of the way. As soon as I touched him, the brightest of lights seemed to penetrate through him until it completely engulfed us both. I glanced down and the white ray of light shone right through me, like I was a projection.

I had to close my eyes from the brightness or the light. As soon as my eyes closed, a jolt sailed through me as if all the life was leaving my body. The hairs on my skin stood to attention. I suddenly felt extremely tired, drained. I felt myself drop. I hit something hard and my eyes blinked open. I was on the floor, the yellow linoleum tile underneath my cheek.

Pushing myself onto my hands and knees, I glanced at the wall before me. It looked like someone had thrown buckets of red paint against the otherwise pristine white of the wall. Then I made the mistake of looking at Cole. Half his face was gone; pieces of bone, brain and other head debris decorated the floor behind him.

Hyperventilating, I pushed myself away from him and clasped my eyes shut, hoping the darkness would erase any residue of the hideous scene before me.

_You're okay, Evie, you're okay. Just breathe_.

I tried to calm myself but couldn't shake the image of Cole's brain spread out on the floor like a spilled dish. I pried my eyes open, glanced down at myself and noticed my figure disappearing. My feet were already transparent and the rest of me was becoming cloudy, as if a fog was twirling up my legs, erasing me as it went. A scream of pure, unadulterated terror cut through the air like a razor blade and it took me a second to realize the scream was mine.

-"Evie!"

I heard a deep voice and felt a sharp slap to my face.

-"Wake up, Evie! For fuck's sake, wake up!"

I woke up with a start, blood pumping in my ears until it sounded like a chorus of demons singing. I was on the floor with Nick hovering over me. I sat bolt upright and glanced around, trying to get a grasp of what the hell had just happened. I noted Nick and Keane both close to me along with Sophie right behind Keane but I could definitely feel someone else in the room. I turned and found Cole, in his real body, staring at me with his mouth hanging open. Cole was no longer a ghost. And, luckily for him, it appeared as if he'd never been shot at all. His head was in remarkable good condition.

-"What the…" I began when it dawned on me that maybe I'd changed places with him and I was now the ghost.

A shriek of horror welled up within me, but was gobbled up by Sophie who engulfed me in her arms.

-"Thank God you're alright! I thought you were going to die!"

I pried her arms from my neck.

-"What the fu…" I interrupted myself, thinking I should inspect my arms to sure there was nothing ghostly about them. I looked as fleshy as Nick and Sophie…and Cole. Then I got angry. "What the flipping hell crap-shit was that?"

As soon as I met Keane's gaze, I knew it was bad—shock on the face of a powerful being is not a good thing.

-"I don't know. You started to scream and then Cole's ghost disappeared and was replaced with…the real Cole," he said.

I looked up at the person in question and found he was the only one of us wearing a smile.

-"I'm Cole," he said as if we were on a dating game and I'd just selected him.

-"But, he's…he's dead," I insisted.

Nick frowned.

-"Was dead. It seems you brought him back to life." Nick was so matter of fact, he might as well have just given the weather report, but his dull tone was no match for the look of awe and shock on his face.

-"I did what?" I squealed. But that wasn't possible! My thoughts scattered as I tried to find a logical reason as to how this could be. How in the hell did I, manage to bring back a dead person? I couldn't even balance my checkbook! "But that wasn't supposed to happen. I did what you told me to do!" I wailed at Keane, my voice cracking.

Keane put his hand on my upper arm. Instantly, the anxiety seeped from my body, replaced with a soft calm. Ah, weird, supernatural-being magic.

-"You did everything perfectly, Evie. I think I underestimated your abilities." He almost sounded ... happy.

-"Well how are we going to send him back?" I asked, still shell-shocked.

-"Hell, I'm not going back!" Cole said from the corner. "This is better than I'd hoped for. All I wanted to know was who killed me, and you did one better, you brought me back to life!"

Keane matched away with a shrug while Nick helped me onto my feet. Cole's wife had killed him. I wasn't to sure I should say anything about that right now. I wobbled on my feet and Nick escorted me to the couch. Sitting down with me, he put an arm over my shoulder and talked to me in a hush tone.

-"Are you alright? You scared me ..." He whispered.

-"I think I'm okay. Just a bit shocked." I whispered back.

-"So, is this a success, then?" Sophie asked, seeming oblivious that I had just brought someone back to life. "Do we go back to New York tomorrow?"

But that was a good question. Was this a success or would Keane send Cole back? Did this break some sort of rule in the universe? I had no idea. And if Keane did want to send Cole back, how would he? I didn't think he'd just kill Cole; Keane might have been ruthless but a cold-blooded killer? That didn't seem the right thing to do.

But Keane was no help; in fact he was nowhere to be found. He had just disappeared and left us all to figure out this mess.

-"I don't know what to do ..." Nick said, quickly standing up and looking around for Keane. "I can't believe this, he left!"

-"I'm not going back," Cole interrupted, and his gaze rested on me. "That little fox brought me back an' I'm obliged to ya, ma'am." He inclined his head toward me.

_Little fox?_

Nick rushed about, even going upstairs to look for any signs of Keane, but he was gone.

-"Fuck." Nick mumbled.

-"What do we do now?" I asked Nick.

-"I don't know. I thought it was going to be a simple thing where Keane did his thing and we would be home by dinner ... now I got some resurrected guy and a missing warrior ..." Nick ran his hand through his hair.

-"What are we doin' sittin' around here?" Cole asked. He stood up, and swayed as if he was dizzy and not used to the weight of his body. I guess being a ghost for nearly ninety years will do that to you. It was of course just a matter of time before Sophie chimed in.

-"Yeah! We should go out!" She said in her always cheerful voice.

-"I'm not sure that's such a good idea…" Nick started, looking at me as if I had an answer for this very odd situation we were in.

Cole neared the door and waved his hand dismissing Nick's worry.

-"There's a whole city alive out there that I haven't seen in nearly one hundred years…" Cole began.

Sophie was right beside him. I faced Nick's stiff body and smiled, thinking I needed a drink. Yeah, that's exactly what I needed—a drink or five.

-"What harm could it do?" I asked.

-"Shit," Nick grumbled and apparently realizing it was three against one, reached for his coat, but not before started to furiously dial on his phone, no doubt to his ghost hunting buddies.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Thank you once again for reading! Please follow/favorite this story to know when I update it.**

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	11. Chapter 10 - Secrets and Lies

**Chapter 10  
Secrets and Lies**

Nick was dumbfounded; no, that wasn't a strong enough word for it. He was so beyond shock right now it was a miracle that he was still able to function and do simple things, like remembering Zak's number.

Standing outside the Chicago club that the taxi driver had suggested to them, Nick had borrowed Evie's cellphone and placed a much needed and urgent call to Zak.

-"Hello?" Zak answered on the third ring.

-"Zak, thank fucking god you answered." Nick let out in one breath.

-"Nick? What's up man?"

-"Dude ..." Nick ran a shaky hand threw his usually perfectly coiffed hair. "I – Evie -" Nick stuttered and quickly clamped his mouth shut, knowing he sounded like a total idiot. But how was he supposed to even put into words what had just witnessed.

He heard Zak clear his throat.

-"Nick, dude, what's wrong, you sound all freaked out."

-"I am freaked out!" He yelled into the phone.

-"Okay, okay, just relax." Zak spoke calmly, but there was an edge of excitement to his voice. "Take a minute and get it together." Zak paused, giving Nick the chance to take some slow breathes. "You are in Chicago right, with that Evie chick and Keane, something bad happened?"

-"You could say that ..."

-"Well, what the fuck happened?" Zak said impatiently.

Nick inhaled in the cool night air. The cold air stung his lungs. He let that feeling sink in before he spoke again.

-"We went to the house where this ghost was supposed to have lived; Keane thought he could somehow get it to tell Evie what it wanted."

-"Yeah, I knew that part. Keane seemed to think that Evie is empathic?"

Nick let out a snort.

-"You could say that."

-"Why, what do you mean? She isn't some fraud or something, we don't have time for this shit, Nick –" Zak started to rant.

-"She brought back the ghost." Nick interrupted Zak.

Zak was silent for a moment.

-"What?" He barked.

-"You heard me, she brought the ghost back." Nick said with an eerie stillness.

-"You mean she summoned his ghost to the house?"

Nick started to pace on the sidewalk.

-"No." He looked around, to make sure no one was listening, but the sidewalk was deserted. "One minute Evie was in this weird trance, the next this dude, the ghost, Cole was standing in front of me." Nick heard the unbelievable words tumble from his mouth. "He was real, an actual guy."

Zak was silent for a moment.

-"Are you saying she brought back someone from the dead."

-"Yes." Nick said soberly.

-"Where are you now?" Zak asked surprisingly calmer then Nick felt.

-"I don't know, some club, called Legs, in downtown Chicago."

-"What are you doing there, where is this ghost?"

-"He is the one that wanted to come here."

-"You mean to tell me you let a ninety something year old ghost go to a club in Chicago?" Zak asked his calm starting to waver.

-"I didn't have a choice! He is fine; he is with Evie and her friend, Sophie."

-"Well where the hell is Keane in all this?"

-"He disappeared after Cole popped up. He seemed in shocked and just took off, left me there to clean up his fucking mess."

Zak let out a foul curse.

-"Alright man, I am coming to Chicago as soon as I can." Zak paused and hesitated for a moment. "How much do you know about this girl, Evie, can we trust her?"

Nick was silent for a moment. His thoughts turned to Evie. She was everything he was finding he wanted in a woman, strong and independent, beautiful and fascinating. But she was hiding something. He had no doubt that she didn't know about this sudden hidden talent of hers, but she also knew more than she was letting on. He really was not sure he could trust her at all.

-"I don't know." Nick answered earnestly. "But I got the feeling that she and Keane might know each other." He added quickly, suddenly feeling like a traitor.

-"Somehow I am not surprised. Just keep an eye on her; I'll be out there as soon as I can."

Zak promised to call Nick with the details of when his flight would arrive in Chicago. But as they both hung up the phone, something was bothering Nick. The fact that Evie had brought back a ghost was not only shocking but incredible. It could mean so many possibilities to a world where death often occurred all too early for some people. This could be an amazing thing, but it could also mean that she could be used as a weapon.

Nick shivered at the thought of all the truly evil people who could also be brought back if the word of Evie's power were to get out.

All those things were real possibilities. But no, what was really nagging at Nick was that his best friend, the man he had worked with for over twenty years and that he knew better than he knew himself, had not seemed surprised at all.

Zak had seemed all to calm and together. He knew him, and this was not the first time Zak had heard about this. He was left to wonder what Zak was hiding from him.

* * *

I sat in an over-stuffed booth and tried to breathe through the cloud of smoke that billowed out of the nightclub. And I don't mean cigarette smoke. This smoke was white pina-colada scented puffs that served no purpose other than irritating me. Hip-hop blared out of the one-room club, making it tough to hear myself think. There were another four booths that circled the small dance floor that was so packed with people; they only had enough room to sway in place.

To the casual observer, the other four booths would have been entirely more engrossing than ours—their occupants either making out, fighting or partaking in some illegal substance. Nick had come back in from outside and handed me my phone. He had then ordered a round of drinks, and now he and I sat in silence, keeping a sharp eye on Cole, who was dancing with Sophie and seemed about as happy as happy could be.

As was to be expected, Cole had been shocked by the Chicago of today when compared to the one a hundred years ago. He seemed to be dealing with it well enough, though, with the help of a few shots of whiskey and a toast to the death of prohibition. Nick on the other hand, didn't seem quite as happy. We sat there, in silence. Nick continuously scoured the place; as if afraid someone was waiting in the shadows to snatch Cole away.

-"So, what do you suppose happened?" I yelled, trying to beat the volume of the club's sound system. "How did I manage to bring Cole to life again?" I wondered out-loud.

Nick faced me with a small smile, so small I couldn't see his dimples and felt cheated. He leaned in closer so I could hear him over the loud base of the music.

-"I have no idea. I have never seen anything like it before. There was a brilliant light and then just like that, Cole was lying on the floor in the kitchen…alive."

-"That's pretty much what happened to me." I turned to face Nick, only to come inches from face. I swallowed thickly, trying to ignore the fact that his lips were so close that all I had to do was pucker up. "I saw a bright light too and it felt like this energy was flowing out of me or something. When I came out of it, Cole was dead ... So I started screaming."

Nick gave a nod.

-"Yeah, and I slapped you. Sorry about that, by the way." He gave me a sympathetic smile.

I wasn't concerned with apologies though. I was still caught up in the why and the how of it. Maybe I'd managed to lend some of my own life to Cole? I wasn't sure I liked the sound of that, though. I'd rather keep my life to myself. I had the distinct feeling, at the time, that I was losing some part of me. And if that was the case, I had to wonder what that meant for me. Would it shorten my own life? I certainly felt fine now, as if it had never happened. I hated having unanswerable questions.

-"What do we do with Cole now?" I asked.

-"I don't know. I called Zak and he is coming as soon as he can to help us figure this all out."

I sipped my favorite drink, an amaretto sour.

-"So, am I like a witch or something ..." I wondered out loud again.

Nick shook his head.

-"I don't know Evie. I do know you are some sort of empath."

Thousands of questions suddenly popped into my head like a swarm of locusts.

-"There are different kinds of empath? What exactly is an empath?"

Nick sighed as if he wasn't in the mood for explanations.

-"Empaths come with many different powers. Some stronger than others. Zak, he is an empath, a pretty strong one, or so we thought, until we met his wife." Nick paused with a chuckle. "She is something else. But she is not your typical one." Nick shook his head as if to dismiss something that was bothering him. "An empath by definition is someone who can feel or hear things from another person, but there are many sorts, some who feel or hear things from spirits."

Hmm. That was interesting. So what did it mean that I was able to bring Cole back? Maybe I did have more abilities than I thought. That was sort of a … nice feeling. I had always known I was different ... and I had never really excelled at much in my life. Sure, I'd been a good enough student, but I never stood out. No homecoming queen or valedictorian for me. I was just the girl next door, the one on the sidelines. And now? Well now, I did have something to feel proud about, something infinitely better than homecoming queen or class president.

-"So does that mean, Sophie and I go back to New York?" I asked, sipping on my drink.

Nick took the last swig of his double Jameson.

-"Soon ... I think Zak might want to talk to you ...Plus I am sure you probably want answers and Zak has more of those then me."

The very beginning of a smile tugged at his lips, his dimples just barely cresting. My blood warmed at the expression, and I had to look away. Although the prospect of finding answers was appealing, the truth was that I was afraid of what they might discover and worse that my past with Keane would come to light if and when they started doing some digging on me.

I downed the remnants of my sour, hoping I'd swallow my gloom at the same time. It also occurred to me I was developing feelings for Nick, and I was definitely not okay with that. Having a crush or whatever you wanted to call it, on anyone was dangerous—that whole broken heart thing was not something I was willing to go through again.

But even so with someone like Nick…I couldn't even contemplate it. True, I was a bit lonely but other than that, it wasn't half-bad. I had a nice apartment and a decent job, and a best friend. The last thing I wanted was an emotional devastation.

Yes, feelings for Nick were not a good idea.

I looked up and found Nick studying me. A flush crept up my neck like a thief in the night, and I faced my drink again, playing with the ice cubes and when that didn't sooth my anxiety I scanned the room, my attention falling on Cole and Sophie who were dancing pretty close. _Oh no, tell me she wasn't going to go for the newly undead, or whatever the hell he was._ Sophie amazed me. Find a good-looking guy and she was all over him. I was somewhat surprised hadn't come on to Nick more strongly then she had. He was definitely more the prize than Cole.

-"What's on your mind?" Nick asked suddenly as the music winded down and a much slowly song started, giving my ears a break.

-"I'm just watching Cole and Sophie. I'm surprised she's set her sights on him." A slightly blush crept on my cheeks as the alcohol in my system hindered the link between my mouth and my brain. "I love my best friend but she likes to come on to most attractive men, and she didn't really come on to you."

Nick chuckled.

-"She did." I looked at Nick surprised. "While you and Keane were trying to get in touch with Cole at his house, she was all over me, but I told her I was not interested."

Shocked, my eyes grew wider.

-"Why'd you do that? Sophie's a beautiful girl."

-"Yes, she is, but not one I'm interested in. I don't mix business with pleasure."

I couldn't help but recall our kisses, and my heart suffered as if Cupid was stabbing it with his little arrow. How would he explain that? It was only some silly bet I recalled ... But either way, Nick was right; it was common sense not to mix business with pleasure. I should have been thinking the exact same way.

-"Good motto." I said with a grin that didn't quite reach my eyes, as his words stung more than they should have.

He nodded, but his eyes held a vacant stare, like a mannequin. He strummed his fingers on the table and continued staring into space. I couldn't say I was enjoying this turn of events in my evening along with Mr. Lifeless.

My stomach suddenly churned with the liquor I'd forced into it and it was obvious that the amaretto sour was too much after the day I had had. My hotel room started calling my name.

-"I think I'm going to call it a night," I said and made a motion of standing, swaying with the effort.

Nick wore a look of surprise with a hint of disappointment.

-"So early?"

-"Yeah, I'm not feeling great."

Nick stood and scanned the crowd, his gaze resting on Cole. Then he faced me again.

-"I'll walk you to your room."

-"No need. I can find my way back."

-"I insist."

I already knew it was futile arguing with him and I felt to terrible to even do so right now.

-"What about Cole?"

He held my arm, as we neared the door.

-"He is pretty distracted right now; I doubt he is going anywhere."

I glanced back to see him and Sophie dancing closely together and gave a nod.

We walked out of the club, and I found myself in the rain again, the drops plastering my hair to my face until I was sure I looked like a drowned rat. Nick hailed a cab and opened the door for me as I crawled in. I was careful to keep to my side of the cab, not wanting to give Nick the wrong idea—especially after his comment about separating business and pleasure. Okay, and maybe I was slightly bitter about it as well.

The five-minute cab ride was a silent one and before I knew it, we pulled up to the hotel. A valet came rushing over to open the door for me. I ran for the lobby, not wanting the rain to further destroy any semblance of attractiveness I might have left. My hair was beyond repair, but hopefully my mascara wasn't running. Nick caught up with me and the rain dripped down his face, testing my restraint to dab the drops away.

-"Well, thanks for getting me back to the hotel," I said.

-"I'd like to make sure you get to your room, if you don't mind."

I swallowed my surprise and didn't have a chance to respond before the elevator dinged and opened its doors. Nick took my arm and led me in, hitting the button for the sixth floor as the doors closed behind us.

-"Your hands are freezing," he said and rubbed them between his.

I didn't respond, and the elevator dinged again, announcing my floor. I stepped out and watched Nick do the same. I guess he was serious about walking me to my door.

-"Well, thanks Nick," I started, suddenly feeling awkward. I quickly stuck in the keycard for the room and turned back to face him.

Nick gave me a faint smile.

-"I'll get Cole and Sophie safely back to the hotel, you just get some rest."

I nodded as I watched several droplets of water fall from his hair down his face. My fingers itched again to wipe it away. Nick smiled and leaned in closer. My heart dropped and my throat felt like it was closing in on itself. I tried to keep my breathing steady but each breath I took brought me his intoxicating aroma of his cologne, smoke and something else that was just so unique to him.

I licked my suddenly parched lips as I felt his strong chest touch my body and just when I thought he would swoop in for the kiss, he merely reached behind me and pushed my hotel room open.

To my dismay he pulled back.

-"I hope you feel better tomorrow." Nick said gently.

I gave nod, not trusting myself to speak and with that he left. I watched his retreating figure until he turned the corner and quickly reminded myself that this was business ... business.

Angrily I slammed the door shut to my room and flipped the lights on.

-"No need to be so beastly, luv." I gasped as I looked up and saw Keane lazily lounging on my bed. With a grin he patted the free spot next to him. "Come over, you and I have a lot to discuss."

* * *

Zak sighed and tiptoed into the main bedroom. He stopped at the foot at the bed and glanced down at where his wife was peacefully sleeping.

A swell of love and a strong urge to protect her bubbled up from inside him. He had never imagined in a million years that he would ever find someone like her. Despite all the craziness she had brought into his life, he would never for a moment trade it in.

He might have done a thing or two differently, but change any of it? Never. It was also why he was doing this. Or so he told himself over and over when he looked into her trusting eyes. He was doing this to protect her, to keep the woman he loved safe.

Zak walked to Ana's side of the bed and pulled at the blanket that had fallen off. He gently covered her back up and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. She stirred slightly but didn't wake. He then quickly tiptoed back out of the room with his phone in hand.

He found the familiar number he had called thousands of times over the last year but hesitated before pressing the call button.

Ana was the key to releasing the Guardian from its Shadow World. Although all had been quiet and no one had tried to come and Ana away, that still remained Zak's greatest fear. He was not a man to live in fear, so a bit over a year ago he had taken action. He had to protect his family.

He had started his own extensive research on the Guardian and its mysterious world where the dead lived. Unfortunately there was little concrete information for him use. Or so he thought. One evening he had been approached by a man. Someone who worked for the government ... A special branch, much like the one Ana's father had worked for all those years ago. Except this one was not looking to release the Guardian, but looking for a way to destroy him and its world.

Zak was quick to listen to what this man had to say and soon enough he found himself working alongside him and some people that he never thought he would have been. But they all had a common goal, to destroy the Guardian and keep this world safe.

They wanted Zak to join for obvious reasons. He had the closes connection to the Guardian. Ana. But his line of work also was a great help and without the rest of the Ghost Adventures crew knowing, he always passed off their findings to his new friends, hoping they would find some hint or clue about how these spirits and ghosts travel.

Zak agreed to help, but only under one condition. That Ana was always kept safe and as far away from all of this as possible.

During his time, Zak had learned much about the Guardian and this world he lived in. He had also learned that there was only one way to destroy it. No, not a way, a person, or so the old scrolled hidden from society had said.

According to old legends the person that would be able to destroy the Shadow world was an empath. An empath that could bring the dead back to life.

Zak closed his eyes for a moment. Everything he had done was to keep Ana safe. He hated lying to her, but he knew she wouldn't approve of him working with the government, even if it was safe, unlike the one her father had worked for, and she would have been even more upset if she knew who his boss was.

Without further hesitation, Zak pressed call on the phone and waited.

-"Justin, I think I found the empath we were looking for."

* * *

**A/N:**

**Thank you for reading. Please follow/favorite this story so you get notified when I update it. Review/comment is always appreciated, thank you :)**

**If you like this story, please check out my other work.**


	12. Chapter 11 - The warrior's request

**Chapter 11**

**The warrior's request**

I stared at the lank man who was casually lying on my bed as if he belonged there. My eyes traveled his full frame. I remembered when this would have been a sight I would have loved coming home too. But now it just annoyed me. Not that Keane was not a good-looking man, he had his charm and none of it was lost on me. His strong jaw and piercing eyes were commanding. His beautiful auburn hair was a bit shorter than the last time I saw him but he still had it styled the same way. He also looked older, harder, more jaded somehow.

Even though he was stunning to look at, I knew he was deadly to play with and there was no way I was going down that road again.

-"How did you even get in here?" I slipped my wet jacket off and threw it on the chair.

-"I have my ways." He replied cryptically. His sharp gaze narrowed on me, making me feel like I was his prey.

I tried to ignore him and walked to the mini-fridge to grab a bottle of water. If I knew one thing about Keane was that he was very theatrical, and this was just him being dramatic. Opening the bottle I took a small sip but unable to keep my nerves in check I turned to Keane.

-"What do you want?" I asked with more courage then I felt. My stomach angrily churned, to remind me it was upset.

-"I wanted to be sure you were alright after our earlier session."

I let out a long drawn sigh. I was so not in the mood for Keane's mind game. My stomach was killing and I had just about enough surprises to last me a lifetime. I turned my back to him and tried to collect myself, I couldn't let him see how much he was unnerving me.

-"Look Keane, could you just tell me what you want and go? I'm tired and I don't feel the greatest right now."

I set my bottle of water down on the small table I stood in front of. I then turned around and had to stifle a gasp when I found myself face to face with Keane.

-"Where do you feel sick?"

I backed away a step.

-"My stomach hurts." I replied hesitantly.

With no hesitation, he sealed the distance between us, placing his hand on my belly. His other hand went around my back to steady me. Before I had a chance to squirm away, wish that my stomach were smaller or ask what the hell was going on, I no longer felt sick. He backed away then and I breathed a sigh of relief.

-"Wow, I feel a lot better."

Keane took a seat on a wingchair near the bed.

-"You can do that to yourself as well. Next time you have a headache or something, just put your hand on your head, and focus all your energy on removing the pain."

_Good to know,_ I thought.

-"Thanks. What else can I do?"

He kicked his long legs up on the ottoman and I couldn't help notice his boots looked so out of place with his outfit. The eighteen hole, black laced-up boots stuck out like a sore thumb, thanks to his dark pants which were hitched way to short for his long legs. Keane had always dressed strangely and it was a rare occasion to see him in regular clothes. He always had stuck with the three-piece suit with the suspender and bowtie.

-"There are many things you can do, heal minor things on yourself, you just need to gather up enough energy from the shadow realm. You can summon ghosts and bring them back to life." His eyebrow quirked at the last part. "All you have to do is focus on what you want to happen and then making it happen."

_Wow! It all sounded pretty cool._ I quietly contemplated some of the different things I could do with this newfound power. But all it left me with were many more questions. The coolness of my new abilities wore off all too quickly. Keane caught my quick change of expression.

-"It's nothing to be scared of, Evelyn."

-"Did you know?" I asked suddenly.

-"Know what?" Keane examined his nails, looking bored.

-"What I could? That I was going to bring back that ghost?" The question and my anger flew out at him like a hard slap and there was no stopping it. "Hell, did you know all this when we first met?"

Keane let out a soft chuckle, unconcerned with my sudden burst of fury aimed at him.

-"The small kitten grew some claws."

Crossing my arms over my chest I glared at Keane with the best death look I could muster. The rage inside me churned angrily at his flippant attitude and at the use of his old nickname for me.

-"This isn't a joke Keane!" I snapped. "I brought a person back to life! He was dead!" I felt my breath quickening. "He was dead ..." I repeated, my head suddenly growing dizzy.

Keane immediately sprang to his feet and rushed to my side, setting his arm around me for support.

-"There, there, luv, just take a deep breath." He cooed gently. "You had a shock, but you must accept that you are a strong empath."

-"I'm not an empath." I said automatically.

-"You might not think so now, but you are. You were born with this gift and now we must hone on it."

I turned my head towards the mirror and noticed my pale complexion. The next thing I noticed was Keane's arm around me and his soft expression. I stared at his hand, which firmly held onto me, his long, elegant fingers wrapped around my upper arm. This was the man who had broken my heart all those years ago. The same man I swore if I ever saw again I would skewer, but now he seemed like my only hope for answers. I hated appearing weak in front of him and I despised the injustice of this whole situation.

I shrugged away from him, but did not turn away. I eyed him with caution. If there was anything I had learned from this man, was that someone always wanted something from you, whether it was money, information or love, nothing was ever free.

-"What do you want from me, Keane? Why are you here?" I felt my annoyance once again grow.

-"I told you, I was checking to see how you were." Keane's jaw was tight, yet I saw a small twitch in it and I knew then he was lying.

-"Bullshit." I spat, letting my anger out. "If you were so concern about me, why did you just us leave at the house?"

It was Keane's turn to look slightly uncomfortable but for the first time since this man had walked into my life years ago I saw it, a flicker of fear and worry. Keane shifted on his feet. He was silent for a long moment, the only sound that could be heard was the low hum of the heat warming the chilly air of the room. Keane finally let out a long sigh of resolution.

-"I was ... taken by surprise by your gift." He finally said.

-"You really didn't know I could do that?" I asked, unsure I trusted this new side of Keane.

-"I suspected you were powerful, but I had not realize your gift would be so literal."

-"What the hell does that even mean?" I sighed exasperated. Why was it always so hard to get a straight answer from anyone?

Keane rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

-"It's very complicated."

I took the couple of steps that separated me from the bed. I sat down, with my spine as stiff as a board. I looked up at Keane while crossing my hands over my lap.

-"I have nothing better to do; you can start from the beginning."

Keane let out a soft chuckle and nodded.

-"Fair enough. You were always stubborn."

He casually leaned his taut body against the desk behind him, crossing his arms over his chest. But despite his relax pose, I was not fooled, something was bothering him.

-"Evelyn ..." He started, his tone was grave and serious. "You have a sister."

I let out a loud laugh.

-"Seriously?" This was the big secret. That Keane had actually lost his mind. "I don't have a sister; I would remember that little bit of information from my childhood."

-"Not if she were a few years older than you."

-"Whatever, you don't know anything about my family."

-"Neither do you!" He snapped angrily. "Your father took off when you were a young babe and your mother died when you were a teenager."

I didn't like where this was going.

-"Okay, let's say I believe you for a minute." I asked as calmly as I could. "What happened to her?"

-"She is like you, a powerful empath. Except she showed her gift at birth, so by the time she was a young toddler, she was accustomed to the constant companionship of ghosts and spirits. Your parents were not. She scared them." Keane spat the last part as if it was the most disgusting he has ever heard. "Things would often go missing in your home. Things would move, or the electric would turn on by itself. Your mother and father moved five times, from home to home, hoping that it would stop. They never thought it was their child causing the disturbance. At least not until a certain organization came looking for your sister. When they told your parents that their child was the cause of all their trouble they were all to willing to get rid of her."

Keane stood up and started to pace the room.

-"By the time you were born, Anastasia was just a bad memory of theirs. At least until you started seeing the ghosts." Keane stopped walking in front of me, his eyes narrowed on me. "Your father could not deal with another one, so he took off like a bloody coward."

I tried to stamp down the sudden flood of anger and sadness that swelled inside me at the vague memories of my father.

-"So what does this have to do with me?" I asked, my voice strangled.

-"Everything." I swallowed hard, unable to form any words. I knew Keane was telling the truth. Why would he lie about something like this ... I had a sister ... a real sister, who was just like me out there. "I didn't realize until I saw you bring Cole back today. I should have ..." Keane shook his head with regret. "I should have seen many things before now."

-"What things?"

-"There is a very old prophecy. It was passed onto me when I became what I am today ... I just never expected it to be so literal."

I frowned as Keane took back his position against the desk. I had always known Keane was different. It was one of things that had attracted me to him, but at the time we had dated I never asked, I had been too afraid. Scared of him or what his answer might have been, I wasn't sure. But now I needed answers. I needed to know.

-"What exactly are you?"

Keane clucked his tongue and waved his left hand around, dismissing me.

-"All you need to know is that I am a man who has lived far too long and who has made far too many mistakes, but none greater than losing my wife. For five hundred years I have served and done my duty to protect the shadow world. But when I learned of Anastasia existence I got distracted ... And things were comprised because of me."

-"Wait, wait ... Shadow what world?" I paused, processing everything Keane had just said. "Did you say five hundred ..." I repeated numbly.

-"Evelyn, really, you knew I was ... different."

-"Well yeah, but not five hundred years old different!" I cried, jumping to my feet, suddenly feeling the need to pace. I had made out with an ancient relic ... Talk about a sugar daddy type of relationship! Keane kept his sharp hazel gaze on me.

-"Five hundred years ago, I accidentally killed the last warrior of the shadow world. I was forced to take his place as my punishment."

-"And what exactly is this shadow world?"

-"It is a place where the spirits and ghosts of those who cannot rest go. They travel freely between this realm and the shadow one, but it's their main place where they wander."

-"You are supposed to protect them or something?" I stopped pacing as the whole story was starting to come together and make sense.

-"Not exactly. Nothing can harm a ghost. The shadow world is not only the home of restless spirits, it also harbors something else, much more sinister. The Guardian. He was put there several millennia ago, to slumber for eternity for his crimes. I was to guard him and let no one wake him."

I narrowed my gaze on Keane.

-"I take it you screwed up and someone tried to wake him?"

Keane nodded.

-"And they succeeded. The Guardian is awake and seeks to be released into this world. The only thing stopping him from crossing over is your sister." Everything Keane was telling me seemed so surreal ... A sister, a magical world, ghosts and old demons ... "Evelyn, you are an empath much like your sister and I need your help."

I shook my head, my mind reeling. I had to make him understand I was no empath and never would be. I was just a girl from Washington who could see weird stuff and sometimes have weird visions. And, okay, most recently bring back dead people. But, I was not someone to help save the world or whatever it was Keane wanted from me.

-"I don't want to be an empath."

Keane's brows drew together.

-"Why? You're very powerful. You have more potential than I've ever seen in anyone."

-"Well that's all fine and good, but I like my life as it is."

Keane sighed and rubbed the back of his head as if he couldn't grasp the fact that I didn't want any of this, as if being a powerful empath were like winning the Miss America title.

-"This is a calling, Evelyn, not a decision for you to make. We are simply born this way, with these destinies that we cannot escape. Empaths aren't created and unfortunately for you it would seem that your destiny has been written for a very long time."

-"I don't understand ..."

-"The prophecy, Evelyn, haven't you been bloody listening?" Suddenly Keane stood on his two legs again. With a hardy laugh he looked up at the ceiling and after several seconds his hysterical laughter still did not die down. With a flinch I wondered if he had finally lost his mind, but before I could ask him about his state of mind, he fixed those eerie clear hazel eyes on me. "Stupid, stupid me. I can't believe it. It's been you this whole time!"

I had no idea what he was talking about and frankly he was starting to scare me. Keane roughly ran his fingers through his hair, making it stick up and disheveled, and making him look a bit more insane. Instinctively I stood up, quickly running through an escape plan in my head. I was closes to the window, but I was also five stories up, there was no way I could escape that way. I'd have to get to the door, somehow.

Keane sensing my unease took a step towards me. I slowly side-stepped but he matched every step I took and soon we were very carefully circling each other, like two caged animals getting ready for battle. His eyes were wild and made the hairs of the back of my neck rise. What had happened to the man I had met all those years ago?

That's when it hit me. Like a bolt of lightning, it smacked me hard. He knew my supposed sister, I was still undecided if I believed that I had a sister, but he knew this woman's entire history ... Had our meeting all those years ago been an actual coincidence? I somehow doubted that.

-"You used me ..." I stopped walking, my heart suddenly thudding loudly in my chest. It ache almost as much as the day Keane and I had ended our relationship. "You used me ... You knew my sister ... Anastasia, that's her name right? That is the woman you are obsessed with! Why do you want to get to her?"

Keane's lips downturned, and his eyes filled with what I could only describe as annoyance, his madness disappearing.

-"Really now, Evelyn? Do you realize how ridiculous you sound?"

-"Me?!" I cried out, my anger climbing. I was going to lose it. "So us meeting was just a pure act of coincidence?"

-"I will admit I was in Washington to find Anastasia sister ten years ago, but us meeting was indeed coincidence, luv."

I remembered the day like it was yesterday. I had been only been nineteen and was nursing one hell of a hangover. I had gone to the coffee shop around the block from my apartment and that was where I saw him. The strange man in a revolutionary war costume. I thought it was odd, but I had assumed that there was some sort of reenactment nearby, until I saw him just walk through another person.

Shocked I chased him around the corner of the shop, but when I rounded the side of the building I ran right into Keane. He had asked me if I had seen the man in the costume, so when I said yes, he said he had too.

-"I noticed you chasing the ghost; I had to talk to you. I did not know you were Anastasia sister when I stopped you. I did not realize who you were until you started invading Anastasia dreams."

-"What?"

-"Anastasia was having strange moments, something almost like a vision, where she would meet a young woman. The woman would warn her about her impending doom."

-"I had those dreams ..." I whispered flabbergasted. "I couldn't control them." I quickly defended myself. " I would see this girl and I would tell her -" I swallowed hard. I couldn't finish that phrase, the thought of those dreams made my stomach churn once again. "How is that possible, that she saw those dreams? I never meant too ..."

-"It would seem that even your subconscious knows about your sister. It was warning her."

It had to be true. I did have a sister. Keane knew many things but there was no way he could know about the dreams I was having two years ago. But the matter still remained, why was I the way that I was and what did Keane want from me. It didn't matter if he had used me. He had never loved me and I was over that. So why did the thought of Keane wanting to help my sister make me feel a little green with jealousy?

-"That is awesome, but seriously, what do you want from me?" I asked, my tone a bit more biter then it should have been.

Keane sighed and took a step back. The atmosphere in the room slowly turned less hostile.

-"I need your help to get my wife back." Keane's eyes met mine with dead seriousness. "I need you to help me get Anastasia back and make me human again."

* * *

-"I don't understand why I can't go with you." Ana frowned at her husband.

Zak zipped up his suitcase, keeping his head down. He shrugged.

-"I need you to stay here with Aaron for the meeting."

-"But we already met with the network executives."

Zak set his bag down on the ground and finally dared a glance up at Ana, something he wish he hadn't done.

-"Yeah but you heard what they said, the executives might want to meet again."

-"Zak, they are going to call first and they said _might,_ which I highly doubt." Ana took a step towards him. "Will you tell me the real reason you don't want me to go?"

Zak stared at his wife's big hazel eyes and felt his guilt surge inside him like a bad case of food poisoning.

-"I just ... you just looked tired, I didn't want you to come on this wild goose chase."

-"Seriously?" Ana's eyebrow quirked. "Nick saw a woman bring a ghost back to life and you expect me to stay here? Sorry Zak, you aren't getting rid of me that easily." Ana gave Zak a sharp glare then turned to the dresser to start packing her own bag. "I am going with you, whether you like it or not."

Zak sighed and walked to Ana. He grabbed both her hands, halting her hasty packing. Meeting his dark blue eyes, Ana saw a flicker of sadness in his unreadable expression.

-"Ana, you know I love you right?" He asked, pulling her against his hard chest.

Ana nodded, feeling her breath hitched by the action. They had been together a bit over two year, and the man still left her breathless by just a simple touch.

-"Of course I do, Zak."

-"Everything I do is for you, for us. I just want to keep you safe, sweetie."

Ana sighed and put her head on his chest.

-"I know ... but you worry too much and nothing will happen as long as am with you."

She felt Zak inhale deeply and moments later shakily exhale out. He then placed a chaste kiss on the top of her head.

-"We leave in thirty minutes, be ready." He finally said in a resigned tone.

Zak let Ana go to start packing, leaving the room without another word.

Ana tried to not let her husband's strange behavior bother her but there was something going on. Everyone was acting strangely and she was once again being kept in the dark. Zak normally never wanted her out of his sight, and now suddenly he wanted to go on this trip to Chicago alone. You didn't need to be an empath to see how odd the whole situation was.

To top it off Keane had disappeared. She had called and texted him countless times with no response. Although it was not out of the ordinary for the warrior to go missing for several days at a time, he always took Ana's calls.

Everything smelled fishy. First Keane was MIA and now Zak wanted to go on a trip alone, something was going on and she would get to the bottom of it.

* * *

**A/N**

**Sorry for the slow update. My schedule has been swamped lately and I just have a hard time finding time to write. But updates will keep coming I promise!**  
**On that note, I am in search of a beta-reader for my story, Waking up Hitched. If you are interested please PM me :)**


	13. Chapter 12 - A New Day

**Chapter 12**  
**A New day**

Nick woke up to the bright sun filtering through the curtains of his hotel window. Rolling over he glanced at the small alarm clock on the night stand. He let out a small groan at the time reflecting back to him. Seven-fifteen a.m. It was far too early for him to be up already, especially since he had not dragged Cole and Sophie back to the hotel until a bit after three.

The two had begged him to stay just ten more minutes, six times. He had finally had enough and told Sophie if she did not get her ass back to the hotel he would have to call Evie. He then quickly added that Evie didn't feel well, so if Sophie was any sort of friend she wouldn't be so selfish and she would go back to the hotel without any more protest. He was not ashamed of using guilt to get her to go back, it had worked and that was all that mattered.

Nick slowly crawled out of bed feeling like hell. He didn't feel sick and it wasn't a hangover, he had only had two drinks. No, this was more like a drained feeling, as if he had just done the most exhausting workout of his life. He really wanted to crawl back into bed and get another few hours of sleep, but he didn't have time for that. He really needed to get a new phone; he was getting sick of having to borrow a phone to make a call. How did people live before cellphones?

Before Nick had crashed for the night he had called Zak from the hotel's phone to know if he had gotten a flight out, which he had, but it did not leave until the next day. There was a strong spring snow storm moving into Chicago and every airport in its path had grounded its flights as a precaution. Zak was not leaving until tomorrow at the earliest. So Nick was on his own babysitting the ghost until then.

Although he doubted Cole would be conscience anytime soon. The man was barely standing when Nick dropped him off at his room early this morning. Which was not a bad thing, it gave him time to run his errands and maybe have a bit of alone time with Evie.

At the thought of Evie, Nick felt his energy return slightly, helping him rise and get dressed. He wanted to get to the store before the snow hit.

Fortunately for him, his cellphone provider had a small store nearby and they were able to give him a new phone without much of a hassle. They had even saved some of his old contacts from what remained of the old phone.

After getting his new phone he was even able to call his daughter, Emma, and talk to her before she went off to her grand-parents for the day. To make his day even better when he called his soon to be ex-wife told him that she was signing the divorce papers today; everything would be final by the end of the week. Jennifer had been pleasant to him and for once had no insults for him. She had even asked him how his investigation was going.

After hanging up, Nick felt great. It didn't matter that he was running on three hours of sleep or that he had to deal with a guy brought back to life, today was obviously going to be his day. To top things off there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The predicted snow storm was probably going to bypass them.

Arriving back at the hotel a bit after eleven, Nick strolled in, whistling lightly. He had not heard from Evie or anyone else so he decided to stop by her room and take her out to breakfast. This day was going so great, Nick knew when to seize an opportunity and this was one of those moments. Taking Evie out to eat was a perfect way to get to know her a bit better and maybe even get to know some of her secrets.

Nick made his way to Evie's room and stopped short at her door. But he couldn't bring himself to knock. For the very first time in his life he felt something new. An emotion that was quite foreign to him. He was anxious. Nick stared at the door, his palms suddenly growing sweaty. Why was this happening now? He just wanted to ask her out to brunch. Glancing down he straightened his midnight blue button-up shirt.

He felt his heart suddenly hammering in his chest. Taking a step back from the door he silently cursed himself. What the hell was wrong with him? He was just asking Evie out to eat; it wasn't like he was declaring his undying love for the woman. It was brunch for Christ sake. But that did little to calm him. His mind raced and he felt his body being hit with an adrenaline spike.

He had faced demons in abandoned insane asylums, mischievous spirits in places where no one wanted to set foot in and never thought twice about looking back. Now he wanted to take a girl to eat and he was as nervous as a virgin on her wedding night. Hell, he hadn't even been this anxious when he had asked Jennifer to marry him, so what was the problem now?

_There wasn't one, _he thought with firm resolution. Taking a step back towards the door he raised his hand to give it a hard knock, but before he could the door opened. He felt his heart skip and hoped like hell Evie hadn't witness his indecision. But as the door opened more, to his shock, it was not Evie, but Keane stepping out into the hallway.

When he spotted Nick standing there, Keane flashed him a giant smile.

-"Nick!" He exclaimed a bit more cheerily than ever. "Good morning." Nick stared at Keane as he stepped out into the hallway with ease, as if he were leaving his own room. Before closing the door Keane stopped. "You looking for Evie, mate?"

Nick gave a slow nod, still unsure what the hell was going on.

-"Yeah ..." Nick finally said, after clearing his throat.

-"She is the shower, but go on in, she should be almost done." Keane said with a smile, leaving the door open.

He gave Nick a friendly slap to the back shoulder and walked off down the hallway towards the elevator, leaving Nick gaping at him. Had Keane spent the night? Nick stomach suddenly twisted in a sickly knot. Evie and Keane? He somehow couldn't really picture that, nor did he want too. The thought of Evie with the immortal warrior made him much more upset than it should.

Nick entered the hotel bedroom which was an exact copy of his. The door swung shut behind him with a loud bang.

-"Keane?"

Nick heard Evie call from the bathroom. Whipping his head to the right, he stood frozen in front of the washroom door. He wasn't sure he should be here, she was expecting someone else ... This was just a little awkward. But before he could decide if he should answer or simply sneak out, the door to the bathroom popped open and a cloud of steam wafted out.

Evie stepped out like a ghost through the thick fog of steam and to Nick's utter shock she wore nothing but a white towel wrapped around her body. Her pale, white-blonde hair plastered against her head, her skin flush and red. His mouth suddenly became dry and he lost any and all thoughts.

-"Nick!" She gasped, clutching the towel closer to her chest.

Nick blinked and quickly turned away.

-"Sorry!" He replied loudly. "Keane let me in ..." He looked up at the ceiling. "I came by to see if you wanted to grab something to eat ... but you're busy ..." Nick babbled and tried to move towards the door.

-"Oh," he heard Evie shuffle around from behind him. "I'm not busy." He heard the humor in her voice. "Let me get dress really quick, I am starving."

Seconds later the bathroom door shut firmly behind him.

* * *

Breathing hard, I slammed the door to the bathroom and sunk my back against the damp wood. I had just stepped out practically naked in front of Nick. I closed my eyes as the mortification of the situation settled in.

I thought Keane was out there ... which would have been alright. After the night I had, Keane was no longer part of some sort of sick fantasy of mine, any and all romantic feelings I might have had left over for the man had evaporated and were replaced with sympathy and some hatred.

I still hated him for what he had done to me all those years ago. Breaking my heart ... using me. But after he told me everything, I wasn't so sure he was as bad as what he tried to pass himself off too be all the time. All he wanted was a chance with his dead wife who had a doppelgänger and happened to be my sister ... Okay, so all that sounded rather strange but one couldn't fault a guy for being in love right?

Blinking, I sighed and hurried to get dressed. I was exhausted. Keane had spent the night trying to get me to using my gift and make some sort of connection with a spirit, any spirit. But nothing worked. I couldn't see any sort of ghost or spirit of any type and Keane wasn't the most patient of teachers.

_-"There is a bloody ghost right in front of you, Evie, just concentrate on it!" He growled, exasperated._

_-"I am trying!" My eyes lids were shut tightly as I sat yoga style on the ground._

_-"Well obviously not hard enough! What do you do when you want to see a ghost?"_

_-"Nothing! I don't want to see ghosts." Opening my eyes and glared up at Keane from the ground. "The few times I have seen one were just by chance. I didn't do anything special, it just happened." I snapped back at him._

I shook my head at my annoying flashback. Keane was an ass. That much had not changed and I had not agreed or disagreed to help him. But he seemed to think otherwise.

_-"How am I supposed to help make my sister fall in love with you?"_

_-"You will do nothing; your presences will be enough." Keane waved his hand vaguely. "What I need from you is to make me human again."_

_I couldn't help but laugh._

_-"I can't even see a ghost that is apparently right in front of me, how can I make you human?"_

_-"Because you can bring back the dead. When I became this ... this warrior, the human part of myself was detached, its wandering somewhere, just like these ghosts, you just need to get it back into my body."_

I still had no idea how I was supposed to accomplish that when I had seen one ghost in the last ten years, Cole, and that I been pure luck if you asked me. Pushing away thoughts of Keane, I quickly dressed and brushed my hair with speed. With a deep breath I left the bathroom and found Nick standing in front of the window.

-"So, where we going to breakfast?" I called, trying to make my voice as casual as possible.

Nick whipped around like he hadn't heard me leave the bathroom and I had taken him by surprise, but he quickly hid his surprise. When he faced me I was struck by how handsome he looked. His short dark hair was slicked back and he was freshly shaven except for his goatee, which was cut short and I had the sudden itch to touch the short coarse hairs. His lips curled into a small smile but I didn't miss the hint of uncertainty that flashed in his blue eyes.

-"A great place I was at when I was last here."

**oOo**

Nick and I walked down the busy sidewalk. Neither one of us talked much. There was just this awkward silence between us and I wondered if it was because of my nude appearance earlier. Although walking through the crowds of people made it hard to maintain any sort of conversation. The late morning air was chilly and even though it had been sunny earlier the clouds were quickly moving in and looking rather ominous.

We walked several blocks until we reached the extremely busy restaurant. Sadly it was right at brunch time on a Sunday morning and it would seem Nick was not the only one with the idea of coming out to eat. Nick gave his name to get a table and the hostess informed to him it would be a twenty-minute wait, so we scooted through the crowd and found a quiet spot to talk.

-"I would have been happy with dollar menu egg Mcmuffin." I joked as we got in the dark corner of the waiting area. Nick's face turn sour with distaste and I couldn't help but laugh. "I take it you are one of those health nuts that don't touch that stuff?"

Nick shook his head.

-"No, not if I can avoid it." His tone was clip and full of disapproval.

Well this is going to be fun meal, I thought sourly.

The next twenty minutes were spent with us making awkward small talk about the weather and the condition of the roads if the snow was to hit. All the topics that were considered safe and extremely boring. Along with staring at the other happy patrons all waiting to be seated. So when Nick's name was called for our table I wasn't sure if I should jump for joy or weep. On one hand we would be eating and we wouldn't have to make small talk but on the other hand, there would still be this strange tension between us.

I couldn't understand why Nick seemed annoyed. Last night he had been so nice and relax, even though I had brought back a man to life, Nick had been calm and even soothing. Today, he was anything but and it was making me anxious and regret accepting his offer for breakfast.

Once we were seated and our busy waiter came to ramble off the brunch specials with our menus he took off promising to come back soon to take our orders, but Nick was paying him very little attention, he was too busy glaring at me.

Trying hard to ignore his hard stare, I opened my large menu and began reading, but couldn't bring myself to concentrate on a single word I was reading. Finally having enough I slammed the menu shut and returned the cold stare he was giving me.

-"Okay, Nick, what gives?"

-"Huh?"

He blinked twice as if he had been caught by surprise, which just annoyed me more, what the hell was wrong with him?

-"You asked me out to eat, so why are you being an ass?" I snapped a bit too loudly. A few of the people at neighboring tables glanced at us, but I didn't care.

Nick leaned back in his chair not seeming bothered by my outburst. He was silent for several minutes, his face thoughtful.

-"What is going on between you and Keane?" He asked just as bluntly.

-"What?" I replied, shocked by his question. I really had not expected that out of him. "Nothing is going on!" I cried a bit to outraged, that guilty feeling needling at the back of my skull. "Why?" My voice squeaked.

Just then our waiter returned.

-"Have you two decided what you want?" He asked cheerfully.

Nick ignored him.

-"When I came to your room this morning Keane was leaving it ..."

-"He just stopped by ..." I lied again, grabbing the glass of water from the table and taking a large gulp.

Nick leaned forward, his eyes narrowed on me.

-"Wearing the same clothes as last night?" Swallowing the water hard I coughed and sputtered. I knew now what Nick was implying, but to make his point he kept going. "Are you two sleeping together?"

-"I will give you two a bit more time." The waiter suddenly said and took off like his heels had been lit on fire.

-"Of course not!" I choked out, watching our waiter run off. "He was helping me!" I lowered my voice, "trying to get me to see a ghost."

Nick eyed me suspiciously.

-"He's helping you see ghosts?"

I nodded, suddenly feeling flush at the realization of what was happening. Nick was jealous.

-"He is trying to get my gift under control but things didn't go so well and we pulled an all-nighter." And just like that Nick's shoulders sagged slightly and his face relaxed. "Keane and I didn't ... You know ..."

Nick nodded and a sheepish smile crept on his face, making small dimples appear and my heart skipped a beat.

-"Oh ... Well then ... "He chuckled nervously. "I just ... I saw him leave and thought ... I just had this weird feeling that you two knew each other and I don't know I jumped to conclusions."

I felt another stab of guilt. Now would have been the time to tell him that I knew Keane. But I didn't say a word; I simply gave Nick my best smile.

-"Well now that that is cleared up, let's eat!"

**oOo**

Once that had been out of the way, brunch had turned out to be amazing. Both Nick and I ordered a traditional English breakfast with the classic scrambled eggs which came with huge slices of Texas toasts and a separate dish of bacon-laced beans. For a drink we both tried a wonderful creamy, nutmeg laden Antica flip. By the end of the meal I knew I probably ate enough calories to equal to a week's worth of food.

Nick had been amazing company and by the end of the meal I knew I was in trouble, and not just because it felt like I should undo a button on my jeans. Nick was charming, funny and clever. Everything I loved in a man. He told the funniest stories of his friends and investigations they had been on.

-"You just left Zak behind?" I laughed.

-"Well, he had been a bit of an ass all day so when we made him crawl into that cellar way, Aaron and I took off, we were starving!" Nick chuckled.

-"That's awful! If I were Zak, I would be so angry with you."

-"Oh he was. He got back at me, don't worry." Nick flashed me a heart stopping smile and I felt myself melt a bit. "The next day we were all diving home, in the van, we usually rent a van for all of us and our equipment, well anyway I fell asleep during the drive and somehow Zak and Aaron took the seat out without me waking up and just left me there, on the side of the road!"

A loud laugh burst out of me. I was unable to stop.

-"Are you serious?" I gasped between giggles. Nick nodded. "What did you do?"

-"Some dude stopped to see if I alright, or alive, I'm not sure which. But he gave me a ride to the gas station Zak was waiting at." Nick smiled fondly at the memory. "I was so pissed off."

-"I bet!"

-"But that sort of thing doesn't happen anymore, Anastasia keeps us all in check." Nick grinned.

My laughed suddenly died and my face fell.

-"Did you say Anastasia?"

-"Yeah, I'm sure I've mentioned Ana before, she's Zak's wife. Real awesome girl with a story to match."

-"Zak's wife?" I repeated numbly.

-"Actually you will meet her probably tomorrow, she is coming with Zak. He never lets her out of his sight."

Nick dug into his back pocket and fished out his wallet not seeming to notice my sudden change of mood. This couldn't be a coincidence. I had not realized that Ana was short for Anastasia. I recalled Nick and Aaron mentioning an Ana but I had no idea ... She had to be the same woman Keane was bound and determined to get. My sister.

Oh my god, my sister was coming to Chicago tomorrow...

I had never agreed to help Keane get anything, but who was I to stand in between two people who loved each other. But now, this complicated things. Keane had never said she was married. Married to Nick's best friend at that. I mean whatever perverse fantasy Keane had for his dead's wife doppelgänger was his business but I couldn't be responsible for breaking up my own sister's marriage.

Loss in my thoughts I didn't notice Nick pay for breakfast but he soon stood up with a mischievous grin.

-"I've got an idea." He extended his hand out to me. "You said Keane couldn't get you to see any ghost's right?" I nodded distracted. "Well we did an investigation of a place not far from here a couple of years ago, how about we go check it out."

-"Right now?" I glanced at his hand, unsure and conflicted.

-"No time like the present." He winked.

* * *

**_A/N: sorry for the short chapter especially since you all waited so long. I've had a few life/medical things to take care of (still ongoing) so its making my writing time limited.)_**

**_But I do promise next update as soon as possible and to be very exciting! ;)_**


	14. Chapter 13 - A Ghostly Encounter

**Chapter 13**  
**A ghostly encounter**

The taxi pulled up at the large Romanesque building labeled Excalibur. I stared at it in awe from the backseat of the car a bit taken aback by the architecture. It was not typical of the downtown Chicago scenery and had an incredible Gothic vibe to it.

Nick threw the driver a few dollars before getting out. He held the door open for me to scoot through on his side. I exited the car, unable to deter my eyes from the majestic building. The entrance was slightly intimidating with its vast stone archway and two massive stone winged-lions stood guard as its protector. As I stood gaping at the structure I failed to notice the big, fat, heavy snowflakes that were falling with alarming speed. The ground had a fine coat of snow already sticking to it. Nick wasted no time and made a beeline for the door. The club did not look open but the door was unlocked.

-"Its fucking freezing, come on Evie!" Nick called, holding the door open for me.

As if Mother Nature had heard his foul curse, the wind suddenly kicked up, blowing into my unzipped jacket and giving me a taste of the frigid cold. Needing no more incentive I rush to the open door and the warmth of the building.

Stepping inside, I breathed out a sigh of relief. The weather had changed so dramatically within a matter of minutes and neither Nick nor I were dressed for a blizzard. The door slammed shut and Nick walked past me. The room was poorly lit but once my eyes adjusted I was unable to hold back the low whistle.

-"Wow." I whispered.

The inside like the outside was not typical either, not what you would picture as a nightclub club anyway. The first room we stepped into was large and elegant. The ceiling was unusually high with giant chandeliers hanging from it. Posh Persian rugs decorated the floors. This had more of a sitting room vibe to it with its several couches and chairs all strategically placed for people to sit, chat and relax in. A massive staircase was at the back right corner which climbed to the second floor.

-"Awesome place isn't it?" Nick grinned turning to me.

-"Yeah, this is amazing. You investigated this place?"

-"A couple of years ago. We didn't find much evidence to document but we did have a lot of weird feelings. But that really isn't something we can go on record to say if a place is haunted."

-"Do you think it is?" I asked curiously, staring in awe at the intricate carved wood banners.

-"Without a doubt."

We both walked further in, taking in our surroundings. I couldn't get over the lovely woodwork. All the columns and frames were all hand carved.

-"Excuse me, we are not open yet." A voice echoed through the room from the top of the stairs, making both Nick and me jump.

We quickly looked up to see a tall, dark man standing at the top of the stairs. It was too dark to discern much more beyond that since none of the lights were on except for a few emergency lights. Nick took a few steps towards the staircase.

-"Hey, Craig?"

-"Yeah?"

-"I don't know if you remember me, I'm Nick Groff, I was here with Zak and Aaron from Ghost Adventures."

-"Oh yeah, hey!" Craig's voice perked up. He jogged down the stairs and clasped Nick's hand in a firm handshake. "What's up, man?"

Nick gave Craig a smile.

-"I was in the area and thought I'd stop by, anything new happened since we last been here?"

Craig shrugged.

-"Same old, weird feelings of being watched, things going missing. One of my bartenders was pushed in the stairs, which freaked her out so much she quit the next day."

Nick nodded and gave the room a sweeping glance as if hoping to catch a ghost in action. Craig followed suit but as his eyes swept the room they soon landed on me. I gave him a small smile but before I could say anything Nick jumped in.

-"This is Evie ... We were wondering if we could look around, its nothing official, just wanted to show her the place.

Craig gave me a quick once over.

-"Yeah, sure man. We are opening in an hour, but I doubt we are going to be real busy with the snowstorm coming in, so go ahead, have a look around." Craig made his way to one of the side double doors. "My DJ already called in so I got to fill in for him." He opened the doors to reveal a large dark room which I assumed was where the dance floor was.

But before I could peek into the room, Nick had grabbed my arm and was pulled me towards the staircase.

-"Last time we were here, both Zak and I had this strange feeling in one of the back offices, we felt dizzy and kind of sick, so we left to get some air but on the way down Zak said he was pushed in the stairs."

I nodded and followed Nick to the top. He kept his hand firmly on my arm as if afraid I would disappear. He led me down the poorly lit corridor to the furthest room in the back. The upstairs of the building was nothing like the bottom. This part was not as well maintained, the paint was old and peeling, the rugs were worn and there was a slight accumulation of spider webs near the room in question. The hallway was rather narrow; Nick took the lead while I followed close behind.

At the sight of the door in question, I started to feel anxious and slightly sick to my stomach. The whole building had that creepy vibe to it, but the upstairs was much worse. It was as if I was being watched. It wasn't a nice feeling either. Whatever it was it was it was not Casper the ghost friendly. I was seriously starting to question what Nick wanted to do here.

-"So ... Not that I don't appreciate this little outing," I started, ducking down to avoid an especially low hanging cobweb. "But what exactly are we doing here?"

Nick stopped in front of the furthest door of the long, windowless corridor.

-"Keane couldn't get you to see ghosts because maybe there was no ghosts around."

-"Actually he said there was one in the room with us last night."

Nick let out a heavy sigh. I watched his strong shoulder muscle bunch and bulk together at the act. My mouth suddenly felt dry.

-"Be that as it may, it wasn't the right environment. You want to see a ghost; you go where the ghost spends its time, where the energy is. Especially for you, you're new at this so this should make it easier."

It made sense but I wasn't totally onboard with this plan. This might be Nick's life, old shabby buildings with shady pasts and unknown entities in it, but it was not what I wanted. Not what I had planned for myself. What was wrong with things just being ... normal? Was this what my life would be now? I series of old, drafty rooms and trying to communicate with the dead? What if ghosts like to gossip and they knew I could bring them back; I would never be left alone.

Unaware of the inner battle with myself, Nick opened the door we stood in front of and like any sinister old door; it opened with a loud creak that would make any horror flick proud. The door swung opened eerily slow. As if it were giving us one last chance to turn away. Nick stepped inside and hesitantly I followed, wondering why I was willing to accompany this man so blindly.

The mysterious room that I dreaded to enter made the corridor look like the Ritz. The area was surprisingly large and had several windows, all blacked out. The room walls were countless shades of green and yellows along with what looked like wallpaper. What was left of the once pretty wallpaper was peeling and in such a sad state it was impossible to discern what was on it. At one point the room had obviously served as a storage room because a few boxes remained, and were scattered throughout the room, but it was otherwise empty of anything else.

-"They say hundreds of people died in this building." Nick said softly as he walked around the room, taking it all in. "During the Chicago fires people thought this building was fireproof for some reason, so they came here, to take shelter." Nick paused and turned to me. "But it wasn't fireproof at all and like many of the buildings, it burnt down, killing all those people who were here, looking for a safe place."

I sudden chill crept through my body.

-"I guess that is a good reason to be angry and still hanging around here." I wrapped my arms around myself.

Nick took a few more minutes to look around the room, but all I wanted to do was leave. This room had such a different feeling to it. I felt unwelcome. Nick suddenly clapped his hands together.

-"Okay so, how about we get started."

-"With?"

-"I told you, I think Keane took the wrong approach to getting you to see ghosts. But you can still use what he thoughts you, so what should we do first?" Nick walked towards me nonchalantly, as if this was something he did every day.

-"I don't think this is a good idea."

-"What? Why?" Nick asked confused.

-"I just ... I don't feel like it." I shrugged trying to keep my cool.

-"Are you serious?" He crossed his arms over his chest. The room was dark, except for the little light that filtered in from the hallway. A small beam crossed Nick's face to reveal his annoyance.

-"Look, it was really nice for you to have this idea, but I just ... I am not feeling it." I quickly turned and marched to the door but when I got near it, the door slammed shut. I gasped and took a step back at the sight of the paranormal action, rather surprised with myself that I didn't scream. "Or maybe I will just stay for a while ..." I mumbled, trying to keep my fear in check, remembering Keane's words. _Do not show fear._

Nick let out a foul curse and quickly spurred into action.

-"Is there someone here that wants to talk to us?" He asked with command. The room was eerily silent except for my heavy breathing and Nick's slow footsteps coming up behind me. I was frozen into place, staring at the door in horror. Whatever was in here, wanted me to stay. I suddenly felt something slide onto my shoulder and this time I did scream. "Evie, it's okay." Nick said gently, spinning me around to face him. "It's just me. No one will hurt you, a ghost is a just a mass of energy and slamming that door probably took a lot of its energy."

I knew Nick was just saying those things to calm me down.

-"I need to get out of here Nick," I said with fright.

-"Well, you got our attention, what do you want?" Nick asked again ignoring my request. His eyes scanned the dark room.

-"Let's just go." I pleaded again.

-"No way, we got what we came here for, there is a ghost in the room, Evie, and apparently it wants to talk, so let's do this." I shook my head and took a step away from Nick. "What the hell, Evie ... I didn't take you for a coward." Nick baited.

-"I'm not!" I snapped.

-"Then just concentrate and talk to this ghost, then we can go." Nick's voice turned a bit more gentle. "I won't let anything hurt you, I promise. You don't have to be afraid."

Angrily I glared at the man in front of me, finally having enough of everyone wanting something from me.

-"Maybe I don't want to see this stupid ghost! What if I accidentally bring this one back to life too?" I cried furiously. "Maybe I just want to have a normal quiet life without ghosts, unknown powers and secret sister's!" My chest heaved and a slight sheen of sweat appeared on my forehead from my heavy breathing as I realized what I had just said...

-"What?" Nick's eyes locked onto mine. "What did you just say?" He repeated.

-"Nothing." I knew I had just screwed up. With speed I dashed for the door but Nick being much more agile and fast, reached it before I did. He put his hand on the knob preventing me from touching it.

-"Evie, what do you know that you're not telling me." He demanded. I kept my eyes on his hand.

-"It's nothing, I am just having trouble adjusting to everything, okay?" I knew what he was talking about but I refused to acknowledge it. "You might be used to all this supernatural stuff, but I'm not."

-"Not that ... the sister thing, what secret sister?"

I lifted my gaze up to his and even though his tone was angry and his body was stiff, I saw the kindness and worry in his eyes. Emotions I had not seen in anyone in a very long time. He was actually concerned about me. I let out a long resolute sigh.

-"Keane told me I have a sister that I didn't know about." Nick gave a slow nod for me to continue. "I didn't really believe him until he said some things ... things that no one should know." I turned away from Nick, unable to look at him any longer, knowing the next part would probably revolt him. "I was having dreams about her, about my sister. Well they weren't really dreams, it's hard to explain. But I saw her and I talked to her in those dreams ... I was warning her." I swallowed hard. "Keane told me that my sister saw those dreams too, that I somehow shared them with her."

Nick was silent and I knew he probably was disgusted. I didn't have premonition dream very often, in fact almost never, but I remembered the words my mother told me before she passed away. _No one will ever love you if they know what a monster you are Evelyn. Your father couldn't handle your freaky side, you made him leave. Don't make the same mistake and show it to anyone else. I don't want you to end up alone. _And I never had. Keane had been the first man I had been myself with, but even he had betrayed me all those years ago.

I waited for Nick's cold words to follow or for the sound of the door opening and him leaving but to my shock neither came. Instead I felt his warm hand on my elbow as he circled around to face me. _Don't get attached,_ I reminded myself firmly.

-"You have premonition dreams?" He asked quietly.

-"Not often ... actually I've only had a handful of them. I knew when my mother was going to die a week before ... I saw it ... but I haven't had any more until a bit over two years ago. That was when I started having these strange out-of-body experiences ... Keane told me the girl I was seeing was my sister."

Nick gave a slow nod.

-"So you're Evelyn ..."

-"Yeah ..." I looked up at Nick strong face. "You knew about me?"

-"Sort of." Nick shifted awkwardly. "I didn't realize Evie was short for Evelyn ..."

I cringe.

-"Yeah, well you try going through life with a name that should have been retired two hundred years ago."

Nick chuckled.

-"I meant, I know where your sister is."

-"I know ..."

Nick frowned.

-"You seem to know a lot more than the rest of us right now ..."

-"I don't, just what Keane told me. My sister's name is Anastasia ... And I remembered you and him mentioning an Ana, so I just assumed it was her." I lied, not willing to tell Nick what Keane really wanted from me.

-"You realize that Ana and Zak are under the impression that you want to hurt Ana somehow."

-"What?" I gasped.

-"You told her she was going to die. You scared the living shit out of her, Evie ... "

-"I didn't mean too ..." Suddenly feeling awful I lowered my head shamefully. I had not considered that those visions might have seemed like I was the evil one. Nick tenderly lifted my chin back up to eye level with him. When his fingers touched my skin a slight spark was felt between us. I gazed into his dark eyes and swallowed thickly. _Don't fall for him,_ I silently repeated to myself.

-"I know you didn't mean to scare her. I didn't know that before, but now that I know you, I know you wouldn't hurt anyone. You are just as much a pawn in all this as Ana is. Question is what does Keane want out of this. He is keeping you a secret, why?"

-"He really didn't know what I could do." I defended Keane, unsure why. "But he seems to think I can make him ... human again."

Nick laughed.

-"What?"

-"He said he wants to get his wife back and that I could help him."

Nick slowly nodded as if all the pieces of the puzzle were coming together. To my dismay he stepped back from me and started to pace.

-"I get it ... He didn't know much about you, so this was like an information mission for him. So when he heard that I was coming to see you he saw it as the perfect opportunity for him to jump in and see what you could do. When you brought back Cole that shocked him so much that he took off again and now he has a new plan ..."

Nick spoke fast as if it was helping him absorb all the information.

-"Keane said something about a prophecy too, but he wouldn't tell me what it was."

-"No I don't imagine he would, not if it can work to his advantage."

I nodded; glad to see that I wasn't the only one who was weary of Keane.

-"So ... what now?" I asked anxious, wondering what he would do with the information I told him. "Keane didn't want me to tell anyone about his plan ..."

-"Then I guess we will keep his secret."

-"What?" I asked shocked. "Isn't Ana your friend?"

-"Yeah, but if Keane said to keep it secret it's what we should do for now, till we figure out more. There is always more to the story Evie. Plus I am not sure I can trust Zak right now, he's been acting weird."

-"How so?"

-"I don't know, it's just little things. Nothing I can really pinpoint, but a few weeks ago I caught him sending some of our private findings about an investigation to some government email. I just saw the ending of the address and the video files he was sending. Nothing is adding up, I think my boy is mixed up in something and my gut is telling me to believe you." Nick stopped pacing. "Now how about we try to see this ghost that is in here with us?"

**oOo**

It was rather hard to concentrate on anything. Nick knew everything and he wasn't afraid of me. He was going to keep up the charade that he knew nothing about Keane's plan, at least for now. More importantly, he swore to keep me safe, which was going to make the whole don't fall for this guy plan even harder.

But I was perturbed that Nick thought his friend was up to something. I wasn't to sure what all that was about but I would ask Nick later to fill me in on everything. I wanted to know more about Zak and Ana.

-"Just take some deep breaths and try to clear your mind, Evie." Nick said soothingly from the other side of the room.

-"Easier said than done" I whispered through clenched teeth.

Nick chuckled.

-"I have never seen anyone work so hard at concentrating."

-"I can't!" I whined from the ground, where I sat with my legs crossed. "My butt is numb, my feet are cold and my back aches."

We had tried to get me to concentrate for almost an hour. But just like the night before with Keane, nothing happened. Nick walked to me and I felt his warm hands on my shoulder, through my light jacket. He gently massaged at the lump that had formed.

-"Just chill ... Close your eyes." He ordered. His voice was calm and soothing. I felt myself start to relax. "I won't let you lose control Evie, just put everything out of your mind." He cooed. But his kind words only made me stiffen even more. Feeling he was getting nowhere, Nick dropped his hands from my shoulders which made me opened my eyes, but when I did, Nick was settling down in front of me. "Tell me, why did you become a teacher?" He asked out of the blue.

I didn't have to think long for the answer.

-"I wanted my life to mean something, to hopefully make a difference in a child's life ... something I never got."

-"You will always mean something, Evie." He said softly.

I suddenly felt the cracks in my defenses widened. I glanced at his face. He was watching me intently, as if his gaze alone could touch me. I looked away, overwhelmed by a sudden and strange yearning. I wanted more than anything for him to touch me.

-"How do you do it?" He whispered.

-"Do what?" _Get totally flustered at the worse times? _I thought.

-"Over the years, I have come to know many women. Some were innocent and sweet and some were not ... but I have never met one who was both, until you." He leaned in closer. "Evie, you are so pure and provocative at the same time. I've seen some awful, evil things over the years and you ... you are good ... You are like this little angel coming to brighten my day, or yell at me ..." I opened my mouth to disagree, but the look in his eyes made me forget to speak. There was so much desire in his gaze, and so much hunger, it made me weak. He scooted a bit closer. "I wonder which side will win? The innocent or the seductress?"

-"I—" I straightened my back as a sudden cool breeze came in the room and made my skin tingle.

He grazed his fingers along my cheek and I shivered at the sudden shock between us. It was almost like a small jolt of electricity passing through us, but he showed no sign of having felt it. His eyes were hooded as he focused on my mouth. He was going to kiss me. _Should I let him? I mean we did kiss at Keane's house but did that count? Oh God, he was right._ There were two voices at war inside my mind. The prim and proper voice, warning me not to get involved with him, to protect my heart. But an inner primal voice urged me to dive in and give this man a chance, to let the mystery of not knowing what was coming sweep me away for once. _Go for it,_ the voice sung sweetly.

His forefinger skimmed over my bottom lip, and a deep longing feeling flooded my senses. It consumed my body, making me greedy for his touch, his kiss. _Go for it_, the voice urged again. I boldly sucked his finger into my mouth. Nick groaned.

-"Evie." He removed his finger and cradled my face in his hands, cupping my cheeks in his large hands. "My sweet angel ..." He leaned forward and brushed his mouth against mine.

I let my eyes flutter shut at the amazing feeling but not before spotting something in the corner before my eyes shut. I quickly reopened them and to my shock a woman stood in the corner. With a gasp I moved away from Nick.

-"What's wrong?" He asked confused

-"There is someone here."

Nick turned to where I was looking.

-"I don't see anything ..."

Staring at the woman I couldn't help notice that she was slightly translucent. That is when I realized I was seeing a ghost.

-"Oh God ... " I started to hyperventilate. "A ghost ... she's a ghost!"

Nick's hand held onto my hand firmly.

-"It's okay Evie ... just relax, remember she can't hurt you. Talk to her, ask her if she needs help."

I took a slow breath.

-"Do you need help?" My voice trembled.

The ghostly woman shook her head no. The woman was small and had very dark hair. She wore a simple dress and was barefooted. Her features were sharp and there was no love in her silver eyes as she observed us.

-"She said no."

-"Okay, good, she is communicating with you, find out what her name is."

I repeated what Nick asked, wondering if she could hear Nick or not.

-"My name is Lara." She replied. Her voice was muffled. She almost sounded as if she were underwater.

-"I'm Evie." I automatically said, feeling a bit more comfortable, a feeling I wish would have lasted.

-"I know who you are. Everyone knows who you are in the other world." Lara gave me a cruel smile and I felt my skin prickle with fear as my heart rate kicked up. There was nothing homely or comforting about this ghost.

Unsure on how to respond I glanced at Nick who waited for me to report to him.

-"How do you know me?" I asked the ghost.

Lara shrugged.

-"The Guardian sent me with a message for you."

-"What is she saying?" Nick asked, seeing my frightened expression.

-"She said she knows me ..." I whispered.

Nick turned to the corner where Lara was standing in.

-"Hey, listen to me; do not scare this girl, do you understand me? You got an issue then take it up with me." He exclaimed bravely.

Lara smiled again.

-"The Guardian said that people want to use you to destroy him, to be careful of whom you trust. His death means your death Evelyn."

My heart raced even faster at the horrible words. I squeezed Nick's hand a bit tighter. He glanced at me again in worry and spurred into action. He let go of my hand and reached into his pocket to grab his phone.

-"Let me get a few pictures."

But as he let go of my hand to grab his phone the ghostly woman disappeared from sight. Unaware, Nick pointed his phone in the general direction Lara had been in.

-"She's gone." I said numbly.

With that Nick wasted no time, he grabbed my hand and pulled me effortlessly off the ground, with his arm around my shoulders as a protective shield we left the room behind. If only I could have left the awful message behind.

* * *

_A/N:_

_The Excalibur nightclub was feature during season seven of Ghost Adventures. But the club shut down and was remodeled and renamed, but for authenticity to this story none of that happened. If you wish to learn more about this historical building feel free to look it up online._


	15. Chapter 14 - Welcome To Temptation

**Chapter 14  
Welcome To Temptation**

Nick and I rushed downstairs, not stopping for anything. He kept his arm firmly around me at least until we reached the front door.

-"You guys aren't going anywhere." We turned to face a young girl who probably had needed fake I.D. to get into the club. She wore very little clothing and I silently wondered what her mother would think if she saw her little girl now. "The roads are closed and there are blizzards warning for a few counties."

-"Fuck." Nick swore.

We both turned and looked out the small window on the door but neither one of us could see anything. Nick opened the door only to have it ripped out of his hands by a violent gust of wind. The door slammed on the opposite side. I backed away and saw the snow was already knee-high. Nick rushed outside to grab the door and shut it. Snow violently assaulted him in the face as he pulled with all his strength at the door. After some effort he managed to shut it tight.

-"Looks like we are stuck here." He sighed giving me an apologetic look knowing I didn't want to stay here.

-"It's okay." I lied.

It was not okay though. I really wanted to get as far away from this building as I could. I walked to one of the many seats in the lobby and sank down feeling defeated. Nick followed close behind, sitting next to me. The room was quiet with no one in it except us and two girls who were silently whispering to each other. Although the room was not totally mute, the thumping of the music could clearly be heard.

-"If it's any comfort I don't think that ghost wants to hurt us. She was just warning us." I gave Nick a pointed look, to which he smiled. "Okay, that was lame, but I been chasing ghosts for a long time, if that woman wanted to harm us she would have." Nick slipped off his jacket and threw it over the arm of the loveseat.

-"That's a small comfort." I glanced down at my lap.

We were both silent for several minutes before Nick spoke again.

-"I realize that this is sort of new to you, but Evie you've had these abilities since you were a kid. Ignoring them won't make them go away."

My fists clenched tightly at his words.

-"You have no idea what you are talking about."

-"Yes I do, maybe not to the extent that you have lived, but I had a near death experience when I was really young, since that day I been obsess with ghosts. The only difference is I run to them while you run away."

-"I am not running away!" I snapped. "You just have no idea what it's like to be labeled a freak. Having your own mother be disgusted with what you are, even though you can't help it. Being reminded that I was the reason my father ran away, I scared him off." I tried to hold back the tears of anger that threatened to fall.

-"Evie, your father was a fucking coward. No man should run away from his kids and your mother was wrong to tell you that." Nick took my balled up fists and gently rubbed the top of my hand. "Don't let them ruin your whole life. Some people might be afraid of you, but am not." Nick spoke softly. "I meant what I said; I will help and protect you."

His words penetrated me like a knife. I really wanted to believe him...

-"Why?" I whispered in disbelief.

But Nick merely smiled.

-"Evie, I learned a long time ago, from Ana and Zak that you need to live in this very moment. Screw everything else, because everything else can wait. The drama, the hurt, the pain, it will be there tomorrow for us to deal with." I raised my eyes to look at Nick. "Right now there is nothing we can do, we're stuck here. The ghost didn't want to hurt you, she had a message that we will figure out tomorrow. For now we just need to get through tonight." Nick glanced towards the darkened doors of the dance floor and gave me a wide grin. "There could be worse places for us to be stuck in ..."

Nick stood up and loomed over me. I glanced up and my breath caught in my throat. Nick with his thick, black hair brushed back from his wide brow. He wore a dark blue buttoned up shirt that clung to him, clearly outlining his broad shoulders and rock-hard abs. He was as gorgeous as any model I'd ever seen in a magazine. He gave me a dazzling smile that made my heart melt.

-"So how about it, since we are here, how about we forget all this shit and have some fun?"

As much as I wanted to say no, that we should talk about what was going on, I knew Nick was right. I should live in the moment, this moment.

And I would.

**oOo**

I left my jacket and wool vest on the couch revealing the dark tank top I had slipped on this morning. I had dressed for comfort in my favorite jeans and a warm wool jumper to go over my tank top, but if this place was like all the other night clubs I had been too, I knew it would be hot, so I left my jackets behind.

We headed together to the large, black double door and gave them a hard push. Inside the dance room was like nothing I had ever seen. It was old Gothic elegance meets new rave style.

This room was just as big as the lounge area except for the long bar at the back with a beautiful balcony area with glass panels. The outside terrace was decorate with countless little white lights, all strung up along the railing and columns. Although no one was out there now, it was probably a great area to be in during the hot summer months.

The DJ table was on the other side of room with old rustic chairs and tables for people to use. The dance floor was just a typical dance area with several strobe and colored light, all flashing every which way. There were about forty people, some were dancing while others mingled and chatted at the tables. The bar had one bartender which looked slightly bored while the owner, Craig, was at the DJ table. The music thumped loudly as the sultry voice of _Sia_ sung about swinging on chandeliers.

Right when we entered the room, Craig waved at us to come over.

-"You guys find anything good?" He asked, shouting over the music.

-"Just some weird feelings and lots of noises, same as last time." Nick lied with a nonchalant shrug.

Craig gave a nod.

-"Yeah, that's what I get up there sometimes, but hey, what you going to do about it?" Craig fiddled with a few buttons on the complicated looking DJ table before turning to us again. "Looks like you are both stuck here until the roads open back up. So you know, make yourself at home, open bar for you my friend." Craig grinned widely. "For both you and your girlfriend."

-"Oh, he's not my boyfriend." I said a bit too quickly.

Craig looked at Nick, then at me. His eyes lingered a moment too long on me before letting out a loud laugh.

-"Yeah, whatever you two have to tell others, but you can't fool me."

I frowned at him and was about to argue but the same young girl from earlier came scooting by.

-"Hey, can you play One Direction?" She asked excitedly.

-"Yeah, sure kid, I'll play them soon." Craig turned to his table dismissing us, but not before Craig looked at me one last time. He gave me a wink and brought a microphone to his mouth.

-"It might be cold as hell outside but in here, it's _steaming!_ This song goes out to all the hot couples in here."

The thumping song slowly bled into a much slower and different song. Ed Sheeran voice filled the room with his classic, smooth voice. Several couples lost no time and quickly grabbed each other, slowly swaying to the music. The song _Thinking Out Loud_ kicked up and the lights magically lowered and slowed down. Unable to resist I gave Nick a side glance only to see he was staring at me.

-"So how about a dance Evie?" Nick whispered leaning into me, making me shiver.

Feeling shy, I felt myself blush as I gave a quirk nod. Nick grabbed my hand and pulled me to the center of the dance floor. I was a bit slower, lagging behind, so when we reached the middle, Nick pulled me hard against his chest causing me to tumble into his open arms. Wasting no time I felt his arms wrap around my waist. I awkwardly wrapped my arms around his neck, unsure where this new bout of shyness was coming from. Nick moved a bit closer, so close that my breast were pressed tightly against his chest.

Slowly our feet started to move in sync with each other. Nick was several inches taller than I, but he kept his head bent just over my ear so I could feel his soft breath tickle my ear with each exhale.

-"See, I can do normal, sometimes." He joked, his voice low and husky.

-"Yes, because dancing at a nightclub during a blizzard is _normal_."

Nick chuckled which made his chest pleasantly rumble against mine.

-"It's pretty damn close to normal if you ask me." He replied softly. "Anyway, normal is so overrated."

We moved together, our bodies swaying with the music as I wondered if I was really making the right choice to flirt with this man, but the closeness of Nick was making it hard to concentrate. His masculine scent enveloped me while the words from the song rung through my head about how love acted in mysterious ways.

-"Why does Craig think we are together?" I asked suddenly.

-"I have no idea."

-"Well ... I don't want him to think that there is anything going on between us." I countered, unsure why this even mattered.

-"Why not? There is something going on between us." Nick replied seriously.

The irritation with myself was growing. I did not want to have feeling for Nick. I couldn't afford to fall for someone like him. But Nick was not being reasonable about this at all either. There really wasn't anything going on between us ... _was there?_ I was also feeling a little desperate thanks my aggravation with myself, especially since his thigh was rocking into me, raising my body temperature by at least five degrees.

-"No, there's not." I mumbled childishly.

-"Yes, there is." He replied with humor in his voice.

He bent over me, holding me snugly against him, his mouth hovering inches above mine. We stared at each other for a heated moment before he grabbed my hand and spun me around in a quick twirl before bringing me back to his arms with agility.

My hand instinctively pressed on his chest. I felt his heartbeat thumping hard against my hand, his strong chest, flexing, I knew then I was in trouble ... There _was_ something going on between us and I wasn't so sure I wanted it to stop.

-"You're right, normal is boring." I agreed to our previous conversation, choosing to ignore my new found inner turmoil before I drove myself insane.

**oOo**

When the song ended, Nick took my hand and led me away from the dance floor. I was feeling rather good and exhilarated from our dance. I clutched at Nick's hand with both of mine, following as close as I could to him, all the while bumping into him as often as I could, finally deciding to stop the war inside myself and live in the moment, the regrets could be dealt with in the morning.

We made our way to the bar and Nick ordered two Honeydew shots. The bartender took no time at all and was back before we knew it. Nick handed me the shot and gave me a wild grin. He raised his shot glass.

-"To the hope that we never get normal and boring."

He clinked his glass against mine, and I knew right then I was in trouble ... big trouble. With his silly sense of humor that he kept hidden from the world and the way he would look at me, I was falling for this guy. Nick gulped down his drink and waved to the bartender for two more. I quickly downed the fruity tasting drink and shivered at the alcohol after-taste of it.

We both silently watched the small clamor of dancers moving to the beat as I reflected back on the night's events. Nick had not only gotten me to open to him about myself but we faced a ghost together. He had not judged or berated me for anything; in fact he had been supportive and protective. No one had ever done that for me. Glancing towards Nick I suddenly wished I could give him something back, to repay for his kindness.

We both downed our second shots and I remembered how I was not the biggest drinker in the world. With my small frame of barely five foot five, I was quite the light-weight. I felt a pleasantly warm feeling in the pit of my stomach as Nick ordered a third drink for himself.

-"Snakebite please." Nick glanced at me, seeing that I was watching him. Something primal flared in his eyes. "Make it a double." He mumbled to the bartender, who returned in a flash.

Nick downed his double shot without flinching and set his glass down on the bar. _Enrique Iglesias_ song _Dirty Dancer_ started to thump out of the speakers. We both looked up in awe of the spectacular sight of the lights once again changing, turning several shades of a seductive pink and light yellow, illuminating the dance floor. As our heads tilted back down, our gazes met.

Unable to resist the beat and atmosphere I started to bop my neck and shaking my hips. Nick gave me a giant smile which showed off his dimple before he ran his eyes up and down my body. He grinned mischievously as he pointed to the dance floor.

-"You want to try your luck down there again? I'm pretty good." He whispered.

Hesitating, I looked out on the dance floor. There were a few drunken college guys trying their luck with the group of girls dancing who didn't seem to have much of a clue what song was playing but were simply having a good time. There were two other couples who were actually dirty dancing and were not too bad at it either.

After having assessed my surroundings and feeling slightly confident on this, I ran my hands down my sides with a grin on my lips. I was no dance guru but I certainly could hold my own thanks to some college dance classes I had taken with Sophie.

-"Let's go." I mouthed to Nick.

Wasting no time, he grabbed my hand and led me to the dance floor. I knew Nick and I had a special connection, but every time we touched it somehow grew. I could feel our connection expanding minute by minute. What was once a magnetic pull was now an electric force. On the dance floor, Nick lost no time and immediately started to sway his body to the music and to my surprise he was quite good. Joining him, I finally let loose and simple let the music guide where my body was going.

As I moved, Nick's eyes flickered to my lips, my chest, down to my jeans, and back up. His eyes spoke volumes and made me feel like the sexiest woman alive. He grinned at me as I lifted my hair off my neck to help cool my extremely overheated body, but not caring about my raising temperature, Nick grabbed my hips and pulled me closer. I snaked my arms around his neck as Enrique continued to sing about dirty dancing. Our bodies started too moved together to the rhythm of the ensnaring music. Unable to resist I ran my fingers through his short hair.

We moved like we had known each other for years; like we were two pieces of a puzzle finally coming together. At first, our dance moves were quite innocent. A soft touch here, a light caress there, but the innocence soon gave way as the song ended.

When _Emma Louise's "My head is a jungle_" started to play, it was game on. I was no longer just lightly running my fingers through his hair; I would let my finger slowly travel down his neck. My fingers lazily glided down his neck and back, relishing in the shiver he made from my touch.

But I wasn't the only one playing with fire; he was joining in the dangerous game. His hands were no longer resting on my hips. They drifted down to my backside where he gently cupped my butt. He was no longer leaning into me; every so often he would grind his pelvis into mine in the most seductive manner that left me weak in the knees. The song thumped away, and we were so completely lost in each other that we were oblivious to everyone else on the dance floor.

I turned around so I was no longer facing him. With my back to his front and the sexual energy radiating between us made the atmosphere so thick it was suffocating. My need for him became too much as he placed his right hand on my hip. My body quivered as he slowly slid his hand up my stomach. His nose was buried in my hair as his hand glided across the front of my tank top.

His hot breath came out in ragged puffs against my neck. I knew I was not the only one losing control. But neither one of us thought of stopping the crazy game we were playing. He continued to move his hands ever so slowly up my body, I absorbed every caress he offered. His hand paused for a brief moment at the edge of my shirt where a bit of skin was exposed, as if he were contemplating his next move, but seconds later I felt his fingers touching my bare skin. His touch practically seared my skin, and I found myself craving more.

With one hand traveling up my body, he carefully took his other hand and swiped my hair off my shoulder to expose the side of my neck. To my shock, he trailed soft kisses down my neck and collarbone, but as he reached my shoulder, his kisses faded away. Before I could even react, his mouth reappeared on my neck, as he seductively dragged his lips back up to my ear.

My body was a trembling mass of nerves. My awareness of him and my need to have him were so heightened. I smiled as Emma Louise's song bled into a remix of a _Maroon 5_ song. I couldn't discern the song or the lyrics, my senses were only aware of one thing, Nick.

The colored lights of the disco ball and strobe lights continued to flicker, as we continued what had become more than an innocent dance. What had started as some playful flirting, on my part ... or was it his? I wasn't quite sure which and I didn't care. All that matter right now, was that I had this urgent need for him and I couldn't wait much longer.

My eyes fluttered shut as I felt his wandering hand brush by my breast. With an innocent swipe he fingers skimmed over my nipple. At the realization of what he had done, his fingers soon come back and swept over the hard bud a second and third time. His other hand clenched and unclenched on my hip as his innocent touch became more erotic and purposed. His lips continue to explore my neck and ear. His strong body pressed up against mine, I start to experience sensual overload.

His scent became even more intoxicating and all my senses came to life. The way his scratchy jaw was rubbing against my tender skin to the way his ragged breath was tickling my skin. Unable to take any more of his teasing, I seductively ground myself into him only to feel his hardness straining in his jeans. I knew right then that I was not the only one affected by our dancing.

Nick let out a small groan as he suddenly grabbed both my hips and held me tightly into place against him. His breathing grew even more irregular as his hands drifted down the front of my jeans. I slid my hands behind me to touch his side, but before I could reach him, he suddenly and quickly turned me back around to face him.

Face to face it was hard to not notice the lightning storm of energy going through us. Our eyes flickered and our breathing grew hoarser as we both assessed each other. Nick licked his lower lip. His innocent action almost made me moan but I quickly bit my lip to keep it from escaping.

Feeling renewed and drunk on courage and alcohol, I skimmed my way down his body, amazed that my dancing abilities had not rusted over the past few years. I was even more shocked that my dancing was seductive enough to get a reaction out of him. I shimmied my way up his leg and boldly ran my hand up the inside of his thigh. I slowly let my hand glide up past his waist and up his chest, feeling his well-defined abs tense up.

Nick roughly grabbed my hand and pulled them so they would encircle his neck.

-"Do you want a drink?" He hoarsely whispered in my ear.

My breathing was beyond controllable as small beads of sweat start to form on the back of my neck.

-"No, I don't want a drink." I breathed out in erratic whispers, my desire more than apparent.

Nick paused for a moment, as if assessing the situation. He then leaned in and touched his nose to mine.

-"Let's find somewhere a bit quieter." He hissed his breathing just as erratic as mine.

Unsure if the drinks had gone straight to my head or if I was just drunk on the adrenaline from having a ghostly encounter, I was not one hundred percent in control of myself. Or maybe I was and for once I decided to be impulsive. Either way I knew one thing. I needed Nick, _now_.

I stood up on my toes so that I was eye level with him, and then I kissed him; really kissed him, in a way that told him that yes, that was what I wanted and to make my point even clear, before pulling away, I boldly sucked on his bottom lip.

-"Yes, I need to be alone with you." I purred.

I knew what I had just said, and I had no idea where this provocative woman was coming from. All I knew was that I was so thirsty right now and only Nick could quench my thirst. Nick roughly pulled me to him.

-"You're just so beautiful. You know I can't say no." He growled out almost animal like. Letting go, he trailed his fingertips down my arm. He stared at me intently. "You drive me crazy, Evie, but are you sure about this?"

Tired of him asking me questions I took the lead and grabbed his hand, I pulled him towards the doors we had first entered. Once in the lobby, there were a few couples sitting, but I didn't really see them, I was looking for somewhere for us to go. I dropped Nick's hand and he motioned for me to follow me.

-"There is a small office back here, if I remember rightly."

Nick led the way to the back where a glass door was located. Inside was a gorgeous spacious office, with a large couch, plasma TV and other comforts of home but I didn't care about the room or what was in it. The heat, humidity and the loud music all faded away as Nick shut the door tightly behind him. The room was not totally dark; a low light from the corner illuminated enough of the room to let us see where we were going. Nick slowly walked to me, cocking his head to the side, his eyes searching mine for reassurance as he stopped near me. His lips were slightly parted as he snaked his arms around my waist.

He let in a quick intake of breath as we both felt the sudden charge of electricity shoot through our bodies. I pressed myself against him, wrapping my arms around his neck, losing no time I connected my lips to his and kiss him fiercely; showing him there is no hesitation in my mind. Slowly I started to move us backward, careful not to separate our lips and just like that we both lost touch with reality.

Less than ten feet away was a large party, with people dancing and letting loose. Outside was an apocalyptic blizzard, but here we were in our own world. After a few steps Nick paused and looked around for a moment. Then he placed one of his legs between mine, sending shockwaves through my body, loosing no time, Nick jetted his tongue into my mouth and quickly skimmed his hands up and down my sides. His breath was heavy in my ear.

-"I like the way you move." He growled in the most erotic way.

This man was driving me insane!

Nick was amazing. He knew how to make me laugh, he made me feel protected, safe ... He was rough around the edges but so soft and warm on the inside. His fresh scent was overwhelming, his hot touch was searing and his strong body pressed against mine and so powerful. I couldn't wait for him any longer. Feeling bold I quickly moved my hand to his jeans and started to unzip his jeans, untucking his shirt at the same time. I moved my head down to where his shirt ended.

I pulled up his shirt and gently kissed his taut stomach. I had totally disconnected from reality. I didn't care that we were at a club. But to my surprise, I felt Nick pull me up. I moaned in disappointment as he straightened me up.

-"Evie, as much as this pains me right now ... I can't take you like this for the first in some random office." Nick kept his strong gaze on mine, his hazel eyes full of desire. "It has to be special, you are special."

At his words I felt myself tense up. He was right, _what the hell was I doing?_ I wasn't an easy or a fast girl, so why was I been acting like one? My face must have shown my embarrassment and mortification because before I knew it, Nick grabbed my wrist and pulled me hard towards him, slamming me into his chest. He then kissed me. But not a kiss like before, this one was slow, leisurely and sweet. It held lust and promises to things I wasn't sure I could ever commit too. _I couldn't let myself fall for him … I had to stop this._

But I was lost in this new kiss. One of his arms snaked around my waist, the other cupped the back of my neck gently pushing me harder into him. My body shivered as I saw a glimpse of a future I really wanted, an eternity in this man's arms. Both my hands moved and cup his face, the palms of my hands scratched against the whiskers on his cheek.

My eyes drifted shut, as his tongue passed between my lips. His tongue brushed against mine and I felt the urgency build up once again. He tore his mouth away from mine and let out a small frustrating moan. Nick pressed his forehead against mine.

-"Fuck, I can hardly control myself around you." He whispered, making something churn deep inside my stomach. "Don't be embarrassed Evie, I just as much lost control as you ... You have no idea how crazy you drive me, do you?" He whispered harshly, his ragged breathing matching mine. I gazed up shyly at Nick and gave him a small smile but before I could reply someone cleared their throat, causing both Nick and I to tense up.

-"Well isn't this cozy ..."

I craned my neck around Nick to see Keane standing in the door, giving us both a lazy glare.

-"What the fuck do you want?" Nick snapped, glaring back at Keane as he protectively shielded me.

-"For starters, you can start by zipping up your trousers back up mate ..." Keane laughed at Nick's expression but became serious seconds later. "We have a serious problem, the ghost that Evie brought back, Cole, is dead. You both need to come with me right _now."_

* * *

_A/N:_

_A quick note! I am having a small contest. I need girl names! It could be your name or a name you absolutely love and want to see in a book. Well here is your chance! I am asking ALL my readers to give me some names (limit to 3 please).  
If I pick the name you gave me, I will use it as one of my characters that is coming up very soon, you will also get that chapter dedicated to you, so below in the comments area give me some names!_

_Good luck &amp; thank you so much for reading :)_


	16. Chapter 15 - Flashpoint

**Chapter 15  
Flashpoint**

Nick helped me slip my jacket on.

-"What the hell happened?" I whispered to Keane, trying to keep a low profile. The lobby had several people lounging around, waiting for the snow to let up so they could go home.

-"I have no idea, I was out most of the afternoon and when I came back your little friend Sophie was in the lobby freaking out." Keane glanced around the large nightclub lobby. "When she saw me, she ran over, crying and in a panic. She had found Cole, dead. Fortunately I arrived before she could alert the hotel staff." His sharp gaze landed on Nick and I, he gave us a scolding look. "She said she had tried to phone you all afternoon, but when you ignored her calls, she decided she had to come get someone."

I flinched at Keane's accusatory tone towards us, it was obvious he was not thrilled that he had to come out and find us.

-"So where is Cole now?" Nick asked in the same ushered tone.

-"His body is still in his room."

Keane's voice was clip and his whole demeanor was cold with us. I couldn't quite understand why he was so upset. Was it because he had caught Nick and me in a ... delicate situation or was there another reason and he didn't want to get into it right now?

I pushed the thoughts of Keane's feelings aside, which was not important right now. Cole was dead. A man that I had brought back to life was dead. I knew nothing about Cole but I still felt a sort of kinship towards him.

-"Shouldn't you have taken him to the hospital or something?" I asked him angrily. "I mean he was still a human being, I don't get why Sophie didn't call an ambulance. She could have sa—"

Keane sharply cut me off.

-"He was shot in the head, Evelyn, twice. There was no saving him."

I felt my stomach sink.

-"What?" Nick gasped. "How?" His tone reflected my disbelief.

-"Oh, I don't know, I suppose with a revolver of some sort." Keane replied tartly.

I heard a low growl come from Nick as I felt his whole body stiffen from behind me. It was obvious Keane was really upsetting about something. Nick stepped around me and stood inches from Keane. Glaring daggers at Keane, I could almost smell the testosterone coming off the two men.

-"That's not what I fucking meant, Keane." Nick snarled out. "Was it a suicide?"

Keane was not intimidated by Nick and simply stood nose to nose with him, returning the hateful glower.

-"No, it was not a suicide." He replied with the same venom.

The two men stood still for several moments. The room became thick with a vicious haze, which came off Keane and Nick in waves, even the nearby patron had all quieted down. I carefully watched both men unsure on how I should handle this. I knew Keane well enough and he was not someone you wanted to upset, but by the look on Nick's face he was not one to mess with either. Nick's jaw was clench tightly and his whole body was as rigid as a board.

-"What the hell is your problem Keane?" Nick breathed out harshly.

Keane snickered cynically.

-"Oh, nothing, other than I was cleaning up your mess _mate,_ while you were here snogging Evie."

Both men kept their death glare on each other as the tension built up and a small crowd of people had started to gather around us, all curious to see if a physical fight would break out between Keane and Nick. But the attention was unwanted. I quickly spurred into action and nudged my way between the two men, pushing them each apart with my shoulders. I pressed a hand on each of their strong chest to make sure they stayed apart.

-"We don't have time for this, guys." I hissed angrily. I turned my head towards Keane. "I take it you came to get us to get the hell out of here?" He gave a single sharp nod. "Good, then let's go." I ordered, taking command of the situation.

I felt Keane's chest heave once as he let out a long breath as if trying to calm himself.

-"Yes, of course." With that Keane stormed off without another glance back at us.

Watching Keane walk out of the front door and out into the frigid night, I exhaled my breath I had been holding and relaxed my stance. I turned to Nick. His face was still hard but it was also creased with worry.

-"I don't like this." He set his hand on my arm and I felt that funny feeling in the pit of my stomach again, as if a thousand butterflies were trapped and wanted to get out. "I think whatever he is leading us in to we need to be careful."

I nodded, agreeing with his sentiment. Something felt off about this whole situation but I wasn't sure if it was just because Keane was part of it or if there were other unexplained reasons.

-"I don't think Keane would intentionally hurt us." I replied, more to myself then Nick. "He is trying to train me, why would he take the time to do that if he just wanted to hurt me?"

Nick shrugged.

-"I don't know ... Are you sure we can trust Keane?"

My eyes drifted to the front door, where snow angrily swirled by the small window.

-"I don't think we have much of a choice right now. Something happened to Cole, we have to go see what."

Nick grabbed my hand and intertwined his fingers with mine.

-"Your safety is more important."

The front door opened up again, letting in a blast of cold air in and a giant dusting of snow. Keane stepped in, his body covered in snow.

-"Are you two coming?" He called, as the wind howled loudly behind him.

Nick gave me an unsure look but he stepped forward first, his hand firmly gripping mine, pulling me into the blinding snow. I had convinced Nick to put his trust in Keane; I just hoped my trust was not misplaced.

**oOo**

Keane had rented a large hummer. I had no idea where he had gotten it from, but right now all that mattered was heat. The wonderfully warm air that was blasting out of the vent felt like heaven. I had grown up in Washington and been living in New York for years; I was used to cold weather, but nothing like this. This wind and the cold were more like Mother Nature's torture tools.

The wipers violently swiped back and forth as quickly as their motor allowed them to go, but it didn't seem to make a difference. I couldn't see anything except for the hypnotizing falling snow and a small part of the car bonnet.

The vehicle was eerily silent except for the occasional wind howl.

-"How can you see where we are going?" I asked softly, almost afraid to speak and break Keane's concentration.

-"I just know. Our hotel is only a few blocks away."

I sat back and glanced out the passenger window, but all I could see was whiteness. Snowflakes fell with speed and as much as I strained to spot something familiar, like the road or a building all I could see were millions of flakes that fell with alarming speed. The flakes that fell were extremely hypnotizing and I found myself blinking several times, trying to adjust my vision. The feeling was quite distressing and I wondered how Keane could even keep the car on the road when I could barely see a few inches in front of me.

-"How can you drive in this shit?" Nick asked from the backseat, reflecting my thoughts.

-"It's merely snow." Keane shrugged. "I've lived for five hundred years," Keane glanced in the rearview mirror at Nick. "I have seen all sorts of weather, not much stops me anymore."

-"Aren't you scared?" I asked, feeling the car's tires slip. I bit my lip to keep myself from screaming and grabbed onto the door handle. Keane quickly countered it, smoothly putting us back on track.

-"Scared of what?" Keane asked curiously.

My grip tightened on the door handle.

-"I don't know ... Of getting in an accident or something?"

-"And what is the worst that will happen? I can't die, Evie."

The car slipped again, hitting the sidewalk curb with a loud grinding noise. Unable to help it I yelped, gripping my seatbelt with a death grip. Keane twisted the steering wheel and with little effort stopped the Hummer from sliding any further.

-"Well try and remember that not all of us are immortal in this car." I mumbled.

**oOo**

When we finally made it to our hotel, I had never been so happy to get out of a car and was half tempted to kiss the ground. Keane parked out front and we all rushed inside the lobby which was dead except for a lone woman behind the desk. The front desk attendant was glued to her television watching a weather report.

-"The snow should end soon." She said, glancing at us. "But it's probably going to take days to dig out." She sighed.

I nodded out of politeness as Keane and Nick rushed by towards the elevator, ignoring the older woman. The ride up in the elevator was silent which was quite alright with me. It gave me the opportunity to try and mentally prepare myself to what we were going to find in Cole's hotel room.

-"When you say, Cole was shot, what exactly does that mean?" I asked, almost afraid to know the answer.

I had not asked until now because the ride over had been harrowing enough. But now that I was going to step into a potential crime scene, I had to get myself ready.

-"He took two bullets to the head." Keane answered with no emotions.

-"And you are sure he was dead?"

Keane gave me a look that silently asked if I was an idiot so I didn't say anymore. What did Keane want us to do now? Clean up? I had not signed up for any of this. Certainly not to help him bring people back to life and like hell not bury them hours later. But as I let my eyes roam over Keane I couldn't help but notice how tense he appeared. His jaw was tight and his whole body was as stiff as a rod.

-"Someone knows about, Evie." Nick said from behind us, making me jump.

-"What do you mean?"

But the two men ignored me.

-"Yes, it would seem so." Keane answered rigidly.

-"We need to get her the hell out of here." Nick huffed out, now sounding annoyed.

The elevator doors opened, letting us out. I refused to move, not until they both elaborated more on whatever it is they meant. They seemed to have this secret way of communicating and it was pissing me off. I was prepared to stand my ground but Nick grabbed my arm and pulled me along with him out of the elevator. He quickly fell into step with Keane and I was suddenly sandwiched between both men.

-"Can one of you please tell me what is going on?" I cried, feeling my temper flare up. I shouldered and elbowed Keane and Nick, taking them both off-guard and giving me enough room to stop walking.

Nick sighed and with more care then Keane he turned towards me, his eyes reflecting sadness and worry.

-"Cole was shot in the head, two times." Nick spoke softly.

-"Yeah ..." I crossed my arms annoyed.

-"We are on the ninth floor, Evie, which means someone knew what they were doing. Someone knew about Cole and shot him very accurately from far away."

Nick and Keane were quiet as the information slowly sunk in. Nick was right. Who would go through the trouble of shooting a stranger like that? Cole had been dead for almost a hundred years, so why was he shot and how did anyone know? Someone was trying to get to _me_.

-"Oh god ..." I gasped, finally understanding why Keane was so uptight about this. "Who could know about me?

-"I don't know, but I will bloody well find out as soon as we get rid of the_ evidence_."

I shivered at Keane's callous words. It seemed so cold to call Cole evidence when he had just been alive hours ago.

* * *

Nick was feeling overwhelmed and the look on Evie's face was not an easy thing to see. As she realized that Cole's murder had not just been a simple act from a madman but something that had been carefully orchestrated he knew he had do something, and unfortunately he had a very strong feeling he knew who might have been responsible.

He knew Zak had something to do with this. What he couldn't understand was why Zak was doing this. His friend had acted oddly the last few months and no else knew about Evie. Nick doubted Keane told anyone, or if Keane even had anyone to tell, did Keane even have friend?

Nick had only told Zak what had happened and Zak had not seemed all that surprised about Evie talent. Zak had only been shock that Nick had been there to witness it, but there was still that chance that Zak was innocent and Nick was not ready to sell out his friend just yet. No, he'd keep this to himself for now. Keane did not need to know about it.

Nick reached out and gently took Evie's hand.

-"Hey, it's okay, no one is going to hurt you."

Evie gave an unsure nod of the head. He tugged her with him in the direction of the room. He really didn't want her to go in that hotel room with her, but leaving Evie alone was not option.

As they approached Cole's room, Nick felt himself tense up more and more. Sure he chased ghosts for a living but the bodies were long gone. He wasn't to sure he was ready to see his first gruesome crime scene. So when Keane quickly swiped a keycard in the door and opened it, Nick tried hard to get himself ready to see blood everywhere.

But there wasn't.

Keane casually walked in and Nick followed, still clutching on Evie's hand. Nick scanned the room and it was spotless, until he noticed two feet poking out from the other side of the bed. He turned to tell Evie everything would be okay but to his surprise she let go of his hand and rushed past him.

-"Sophie!" Evie ran by Keane to the tall girl sitting on the bed. Nick had been so worried on seeing gore that he had missed the one person that was alive in the room.

Sophie, Evie's best friend who had tagged along for the trip, sat rigidly on the bed. Her face was blank as she stared at the wall and did not respond to her name being called. Nick almost wondered if she was dead.

-"Sophie?" Evie crouched down near her friend, putting her hands on her shoulders. Evie gave her a little shake but still Sophie showed no signs of life. "What is wrong with her?" Evie asked, her tone climbing in panic.

-"Relax; I simple put her in a trance. I ordered her to clean up the mess and then to wait for my return." Keane shrugged as he walked over to Cole's body, which was covered with a bed sheet.

-"A trance?" Evie gently smoothed Sophie's hair back from her face. "What the hell does that mean?"

Nick slowly walked behind Evie, keeping his eyes on Sophie. The blank stare in her eyes and her vacant face was an eerie sight to see.

-"It's almost like she is hypnotize." Nick spoke softly.

-"She is." Keane knelt near Cole and threw the sheet off his body. "The girl was panicking and driving me mad. I couldn't risk her alerting the authorities." Keane glanced up at Evie. "And I needed someone to clean up the mess." His lips curled into a small smile as if he had said something funny.

Nick felt Evie tense up at Keane's heartless words. What sort of power did Keane possess if he could put a person in a trance and do whatever he told them too? That only reaffirmed Nick's fear of who he could trust.

-"Well get her out of this stupid trance." Nick said tightly. "It's fucking creepy."

-"The girl is fine." Keane snapped, annoyed. "We have more pressing issues to deal with."

-"No we don't, this is my friend!" Evie countered back.

Keane let out a dramatic long sigh and stood. He casually strode next to Evie and he put a firm hand on Sophie's shoulder. The girl looked up towards him, her stare still vacant.

-"Sophie, go back to your room, clean yourself up and go to bed. When you wake, you will not remember tonight's events."

Sophie jumped to her feet and walked passed Evie and Nick and left the room without a glance back. Nick tried hard to not shiver.

-"What the hell are you?" He whispered under his breath.

-"Someone you don't want on upset, mate." Keane replied nonchalantly.

The door slammed behind Sophie and it seemed to bring Evie back to the situation at hand. She slow turned towards where Cole's body laid. Nick didn't fail to notice her complexion turning a pasty white and all her earlier spirit seemed to vanish. He also recalled when he had fallen in to the old crypt in New York; Evie had panicked at his used of the word crypt, thinking they had tumbled into an old tomb where bodies were laid to rest. Evie was one strong woman but it was has plain as day, she was terrified of dead people and corpses.

-"So, he's – he's dead?" Evie whispered her voice hoarse as her eyes landed on Cole.

Nick quickly moved beside her, suddenly thankful that Keane had Sophie clean up the worse of the mess. Although Cole did look dead with two bullet wounds in his head it was cleaned up and it wasn't as gruesome as he had imagined.

-"Yes and we need to get rid of him so we can get the bloody hell out of here." Keane swiftly threw the sheet back over Cole's head and motioned towards Nick to come help him.

Nick could not agree more, they needed to get Evie the hell out of here before she was the next target.

* * *

Zak's fingers drummed impatiently on his lap as he listened to the monotone voice of the airline calling for the boarding of the next flight. He and Ana had arrived a couple of hours early for their flight to Chicago which surprisingly had not been cancelled. The blizzard had hit and passed quickly, leaving the city to clean up, but the airport was open and his flight was still on schedule.

Zak kept his eyes fixed on the small duty free shop he sat in front of. Ana had gone in to look around, declaring that looking at things she didn't need was better company then he was. He couldn't blame her; he had been rather prickly and short with her for the last few days. But he couldn't help it. The stress of everything was getting to him and he wasn't sure how much longer he could keep hiding the truth from Ana.

Never taking his eyes from his wife and her surrounding, Zak stood and decided to join her. He wasn't risking anything. Things were escalating quickly and Ana was a target, and like hell he would lose her. The word about this Evie woman would soon spread and Zak knew the Guardian's followers would soon try to come back for Ana.

Zak stalked behind his wife, who was holding a small bottle of perfume. With her eyes partly shut, she inhale deeply and a small smile curled onto her lips. Zak was mesmerized. Here they were, years later after first meeting, and she still made his heart skip a beat along with the summersault his stomach did when she noticed him and her big hazel eyes lit up.

-"Find something you like?" He asked, feeling his worries evaporate the closer he got to her.

Ana lifted her gaze to him and gave him a wider smile, but she shook her head no.

-"Just looking." She walked around the display and stopped next to him, taking his hand in hers. Her face creased as she kept her intense gaze on him. Zak tried hard keep his gaze on her without flinching under her scrutiny, but unable to stand still he shifted his weight with unease. "Is everything okay?" She asked.

Zak was about to reply but was interrupted by his cellphone suddenly ringing. He sighed and fished his phone from his pocket. Glancing at the screen he saw the name and his stomach dropped.

-"I have to take this." He quickly said and moved away from Ana. When he was far enough away that he knew she couldn't hear he picked up. "Yeah?"

-"The ghost has been taken care of." The familiar low voice spoke.

Zak felt his heart thud wildly.

-"What do you mean?" He whispered harshly, moving out of the little shop.

-"The ghost that was brought back to life, we took care of him."

-"What the fuck does that mean?"

-"We sent one of our task members to dispose of the evidence."

-"Seriously, Justin, quit with the fucking cryptic lingo." Zak glanced behind him, making sure Ana was still in the store.

-"We killed the ghost."

Everything slowly came crashing down onto Zak. Feeling numb he sank on the bench he stood next too.

-"Why?" He heard himself ask.

-"Because he was a loose end. We couldn't risk him telling others his story. No one can know about this girl that brought him back."

Zak lowered his head feeling sick. He knew there was going to be deaths, he had been warned that this fight to kill the Guardian and keep Ana safe was going to get ugly. But it didn't mean he agreed with it. He also had been looking forward to talking to the guy. He had been a ghost; he could have told him so much.

-"He could have had information for us." Zak finally said, getting his wits back.

-"I doubt it, nothing useful anyway. No, this had to be taken care of. Are you on your way to the girl now?"

-"Yeah, just waiting for my flight."

-"Okay good, we need you to talk to her, see what she knows."

Zak sighed.

-"Is this really necessary? I doubt she knows anything, she is just as innocent as Ana."

-"Are you sure you want to risk that? Ana's safety is at stake here, Bagans. Are you willing to risk losing her?"

-"Of course not!" Zak cried outraged. "But I am not a killer either."

-"I didn't ask you to kill her, just talk to her."

Zak exhaled loudly and nodded.

-"Yeah, okay, whatever."

-"I will have one of our agents meet you in Chicago; she will meet you at the airport."

Zak stood, suddenly feeling angry.

-"What you don't trust me to tell you everything?"

Justin laughed.

-"I don't trust anyone, especially the man that stool my fiancée."

Zak swore and hung up the phone, wondering how he would explain the agent they was going to meet him and Ana in Chicago. He'd have to come up with another lie to add to his long list.


	17. Chapter 16 - Something's ends

_A quick Author's Note: _  
_I have been trying to avoid A/N since they can be a little annoying and most people don't read them. But I wanted to apologize for my lack of updating on any of my work. I have been pretty busy with life lately. I've had a HUGE unexpected change happen that I never saw coming. It was something very painful and is still, but I am working hard to get back to me. _  
_I want to thank all my closes friends who have been encouraging me to keep going and never give up. I am still here, writing and kicking it because of all of you. _  
_I am also in the process of editing Waking up Hitched to be non-fan fiction and ready to be submitting to some publishing companies. Yes I am taking my story on the big scale; I will of course keep you all up to date on that. But until then please enjoy this next chapter! :)_

**Chapter 16**  
**Something's ends while others begin.**

Ana gazed out the small window of the airplane just as the light for the passengers to put on their seat belts lit up. The pilot's voice filled the cabin.

-"Folks, we have begun our descent to O'Hare international, where the current weather is thirty-five degrees and sunny. We will be arriving at gate five in twenty minutes, Thank you for flying with us today."

The flight attendants then began their announcements about adjusting the seats and where the baggages would be located, but Ana was not listening to a single word. Her mind was miles away and not in a happy place.

She was positive Zak was hiding something, and not just a simple secret like he dropped her toothbrush on the ground and didn't tell her ... no, this was big enough that it was causing a giant rift between them. But neither one seemed to be able to speak about it. It was much like ignoring an enormous elephant in the room.

Now Ana could not go an hour without feeling sick to her stomach because she was obsessed finding out what her husband was hiding.

She had tried to talk to him, but he always reassured her that nothing was wrong, even though a blind man would see the tension between them and that broke her heart. Ana never imagined her relationship would come to this. Where they avoid each other and the smallest conversation they had now turned into an argument. But it had and now she wondered what was left for her here.

With a sad sigh, Ana watched the plane land and everyone slowly filed their way out towards the exit.

-"Are you ready?" Zak asked, scooting out into the aisle.

Ana nodded not bothering to reply with words. She was too exhausted to speak right now. As she and Zak both headed to the exit, neither one used the usual pleasantries that Ana had always loved and had been taking for granted. Like the way Zak always wanted to hold her hand or had to touch her in some form, but there was none of that now, not anymore.

As they headed to the baggage claim they both grabbed their own separate bag and headed to the car rental booth. Ana had been in enough airports the last two years, she knew her way around them but as they neared the car rental booth a woman approached them.

-"Zak," she smiled brightly. "Long time no see."

The pretty woman reached out and gave Zak a quick hug. Ana watched her husband stiffly return the awkward hug as he gave her a side glance.

-"Hey Eloise." They separated and he quickly pulled back. "I didn't know you were going to come out." Ana watched the two chat and couldn't help but wonder who this woman was. She was great with faces and had never seen her before. Zak turned to Ana. "Ana, this is Eloise Renaud; she is another uhm – ghost hunter."

-"Oh, is that right?" Ana replied, watching Zak carefully. He was a terrible liar.

Eloise nodded and extended her hand.

-"Ana, it's nice to finally meet you. Where you two headed? I am going to the Chicago Hilton."

-"Us too." Ana smiled, hiding her unease.

-"Wow, what a coincidence. Mind if I hitch a ride with you two?"

Zak shook his head no and without glancing back at Ana he rushed to the counter to get a car.

**oOo**

Ana had climbed into the back seat of the rental car. She had no desire to sit anywhere near Zak right now. It also gave her a moment to sort out a whole new set of emotions she was feeling and could not explain. It was more than obvious that Zak knew this Eloise. But Ana had never seen her before and she never forgot a face. If she was in fact another ghost hunter, how come Zak had never mentioned her before?

No, the whole thing did not feel right and thanks to her last two years of ghost hunting and refining her empathic abilities, she was quite good with picking up other people's emotions. Ana was not only a simple empath after all; she was the only empath to have such a strong connection to the dead, which also bled over to living people, just not as strongly.

But Keane had been showing how to pick up emotions around her a bit better and it was paying off. She knew something was going on and she didn't like being left in the dark. Whoever this woman was, it was not another ghost hunter.

When they arrived at the hotel where Nick was staying with this special woman that Ana could not wait to meet, everyone got out of the car, but Ana lagged behind for a moment.

-"Zak?" She called, her voice echoing through the parking garage. Both he and Eloise stopped and turned to look at her. "Could I talk to you – Alone?"

Ana didn't miss the side glance Zak gave Eloise who then leaned into him to say something. Ana could not hear what she said but did pick up the words_, dead body_ and _neutralize the threat_. She watched her husband give a curt nod.

Watching Eloise heading to the exit, Ana tried to take a calming breath before addressing her husband, but the stench of oil and gas from the underground garage did little to cool her rising temper.

-"Who is this woman, Zak?"

Zak hesitated for a moment before answering.

-"She is just someone I know; from you know those ghost conventions."

Ana's gaze narrowed on him.

-"Seriously," Ana put her hand on her hip. "Are you trying to lie to someone who can smell a lie a mile away?" When Zak didn't answer Ana's fury climbing even more. "What the hell is going on?" Ana cried desperately.

-"Ana ..." Zak sighed. "Maybe you should go back home." He bowed his head shamefully. "You know, take a flight to Louisiana, go see our little girl and you know –" Zak trailed off.

-"You want me to leave?" Ana gasped, as the dreadful feeling in the pit of her stomach grew and churned violently.

Zak shifted awkwardly on his feet.

-"I think it would be best if you did." His voice was barely a whisper.

Ana stared at the man standing in front of her as she felt a flood of emotions wash over her. From anger to betrayal, they all hit her with a violent crash. Zak didn't want her here. He had never said those words to her, even when their lives had been in mortal peril he had not turned her away. Ana opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out except a deep sob.

The ghastly feeling of something breaking dawned on Ana. It was her heart. He wanted her gone. He didn't want her anymore. She suspected that he would eventually grow tired of her … but she was not prepared for this, not now.

Zak flinched and reached for her but she shrunk away from him.

-"Ana –"

But before he could finish someone interrupted them.

-"Anastasia?" Keane's voice echoed in from the far side of the garage.

Ana turned around just as Keane jogged lightly towards her. Tears clouded her vision as she watched him. His face held a light smile until he got closer and noticed Ana's sadden expression which made his face fall.

-"Anastasia, what is wrong?" He asked stopping next to her.

Unable to stop herself, Ana felt her whole body shake. Keane reached out and grasped her trembling hand. His long, elegant fingers clapped down tightly on her cold hands. He gave Ana a small tug towards him just as he took a step forward, getting Ana behind him. Keane turned to Zak, his eyes holding a murderous glare.

-"What did you do?"

-"It's none of your fucking business, _Keane_; get the hell out of here." Zak shot back, reaching again for Ana.

-"It is my business when you obviously upset Anastasia."

With that Keane wrapped his arm around Ana's shoulder and escorted her towards the door. Ana did not fight or flinch away from him. Zak watched his wife walk away with the one man he despised more than anything in this world, but he said nothing.

Maybe it was for the best, he thought bitterly as he turned around to go find Eloise.

* * *

Nick sat on the bed as he watched me pack the rest of my things into my suitcase.

-"So where is it we are going?" I asked, feeling calmer then I should have been feeling.

-"Keane is taking us to one of his estates in England." Nick glanced outside the window for the twentieth time. "He said you will be safer there."

I nodded as I folded my last pair of jeans into the bag.

-"I have to go home first; I don't have enough clothes or my passport." I flipped the top to the suitcase and let out a long sigh as I felt that familiar panic feeling creeping in. "I am going to have to talk to my boss."

I turned away from the bed as I felt my heart suddenly jump erratically. The beats came on faster and faster. I stared at neutral beige walls until the dull wallpaper became fuzzy and blurry. I tried to remind myself to keep breathing slowly, in and out, in and out, but my mind quickly spiraled out of control. I was being chased by someone who wanted me dead or alive, I had no idea and it really seemed irrelevant. Someone out there knew about me and nothing good could come of that. And if that was not bad enough, I was being asked by my ex-boyfriend to go to England and leave everything behind for an undetermined amount of time.

My chest heaved up and down as my breathing came in quick and shallow puffs.

-"Evie?" I heard Nick call out from the fog I was in. His voice seemed so far away. "Evie, sweetheart, just take a deep breath."

I listened to the lovely, soothing voice command and very slowly I inhaled deeply. My lungs inflated with cool air. I held it until I my whole chest burned and then let out with a loud whoosh. I repeated it twice again until my thoughts cleared a bit. My vision cleared and I was able to focus on Nick, who was standing in front of me. His face was creased with worry as his gaze scanned my face expectantly.

-"Evie, you are going to be okay."

-"I have someone trying to get me for who knows what reason and I have to leave the country, that does not feel like _okay_ to me."

Nick gently lifted my chin with his strong hand.

-"Think of it as a mini-vacation." He grinned but his smile didn't reach his eyes.

-"Nick, we had to go get rid of a body, Cole's body! He was just alive last night ... I am not sure I can do this."

The realization of things came once again crashing down on me. I felt my heart start to beat faster as my breathing became more and more labored. Cole was dead. I had seen his body; I had helped throw his body in the unfrozen waters of Chicago's lake. Nick had begged me to stay at the car but I had insisted to come and watch. Now I wish I hadn't.

I shook my head trying to banish the ugly sight of Cole's body slowly sinking down to the bottom of the lake thanks to the weights Keane had attached to his feet. The images dissipate and were replaced with the lovely view of Nick which helped raise my spirits a bit. I had never really noticed how handsome he looked.

Actually, he was too handsome for his own good and for mine as well. Although my vision was still slightly blurry, I could see every breathtaking detail of him … the dark grain of his shaved whiskers, the laugh lines at the outer corners of his eyes, little pale whisks against the rosewood color of his skin. And most of all the many hues of blue and green in his eyes, light and dark, sunlight and shadow.

Nick gave a smirk as I realized I had been staring. I quickly turned and moved away from him, blushing, needed space. Why was I thinking about how hot Nick looked when I had just hidden a dead body? What was wrong with me?

With a frustrated sigh I went back to packing, making sure I had everything.

-"What time does my flight leave?" I asked hoarsely, my throat feeling dry.

-"In a couple of hours we leave for New York, and then we have a flight for London in the morning so it gives you time to pack."

I glanced over my shoulder to Nick.

_-"We?"_

-"Well, yeah." Nick shrugged. "I thought it would be a good idea if I came too, I can't let you go all by yourself. I am not sure I totally trust Keane. There are still too many things we don't know."

At Nick's words I felt a warm and fuzzy feeling settled deep inside of me. I turned again to look at Nick, surprised. I really had not expected him to want to come with me. I had just assumed he was going to go home and I would never see him again. Looking at Nick I felt my face grow warm as it blushed profusely red.

Nick gave a low chuckle as he closed the distance between us.

-"That's better." He touched my face. "You were so ghostly pale before."

For good reason too. I had just helped hide a dead body and someone was out to hurt me. I could soon follow Cole's destiny, but I had people who wanted to protect me. _Me._ No one had ever wanted to help me; it had always been me, looking out for me.

-"I—I want to thank you for looking out for me. Again." My blush deepened, as I clenched my hands at my side. "I just – I'm sorry you had to do that with Cole." I swallowed thickly. "It must have been awful for you. I should be doing this on my own; this is my problem … it just –"

-"It's all right. I'd do anything to help you, Evie." He took my balled up hands in his. "You're worth it."

Tears sprang to my eyes without warning. I pulled my hands away from his.

-"Don't say that."

I sank down onto the bed and covered my eyes with a trembling hand. Worth it? Would he say that if I was just some regular person instead of this weird, screwed up ... whatever I was, who brought people back to life? Was I just a means to something he wanted from me like Keane?

-"Evie," he whispered, "I'm only telling you how feel. In my line of work, I deal with the dead, I know how fleeting life can be and last night ... it just helped me remember that it's not worth hiding things from people." Nick paused and sat next to me. "I need to tell you something."

_Oh God, no._ My fears were true; he was going to tell me that he was using me. After all it's what Keane had told me. Once people found out about what I could do, I would be one hot commodity and Nick was no exception. He said it himself he worked with ghosts, this was his life. I held the key too many answers he wanted. I held my breath at Nick's words. Was my life always going to be tainted with lies and dead people now?

-"There's no need to talk about it. I understand what I can do for you, that you protecting me is not – free."

Nick tilted his head, studying me.

-"What do you mean?"

-"I bring people back to life," I whispered. "You…" I noted the confused look on Nick's face but kept talking. "You—You want me to bring someone back for you."

-"No. Of course not!" Nick seemed outraged by my words. "I would never ... Evie, your gift means nothing to me. If you didn't have it, I would still be here in this room with you."

-"Nick." I touched his face. My heart swelled with relief at his words. "Thank you."

-"You're welcome." He took my hand in his. "What I wanted to say was, when Keane told us about Cole and everything dawned on me, that someone is after you. I—I was frantic. You just sort of appeared in my life, really unexpectedly and took over things and I freaked out at the thought that someone wanted to hurt you."

-"I will be okay, though."

Nick nodded and squeezed my hand.

-"I am terrified I am going to lose you and that is when it became clear to me that I feel a lot more for you than just a physical attraction." Nick shifted slightly, seeming a bit uncomfortable.

My tears returned, blurring my vision.

-"Nick, I—" I didn't know what to say. Forget me? It's hopeless? I'm hopeless.

-"I want to be here for you. Always."

I shook my head, and a tear escaped.

-"Nick you have seen the sort of danger I attract. It's not new, it been happening to me for ... ever. I can't let you get hurt because of me, you have a daughter!"

-"Let me worry about my own mortality." He brushed my tear away. "You're the one I want."

-"I'm a weird freaky life-resurrecting empath."

-"I know." He kissed my brow.

-"Who knows what other secrets we will find out about me."

-"I'm not afraid of discovering the truth." He kissed the tip of my nose.

-"I have a horrible temper and I'm bossy."

-"You're beautiful."

He touched my lips lightly with his own in a fleeting kiss, once, then twice. The third time he molded his mouth against mine. It was such a sweet and gentle kiss that it made my heart ache. If he'd pounced on me with lust and hunger, I could have met him head on and dismissed the whole encounter as a mere physical release from the emotional trauma we had both just endured the last couple of days.

But this was so sweet. I had no defense against this. A tiny fracture cracked in my armor.

With a whimper, I wrapped my arms around his neck and threaded my fingers through his spiky, soft hair. Growling, he deepened the kiss. I could no longer think of reasons why I needed to reject him. I couldn't think at all. I could only melt.

My mouth opened, and he invaded me with his tongue. Nick. My handsome, strong, brave hero. Not afraid of whom I was, even though I was still unsure who exactly I was. Not repelled by my quick temper and the mystery that surrounded me. And boy, could he kiss. Could a man be any more perfect?

My perfect moment was suddenly interrupted with the soft whisper of a woman's voice which rang through the room.

-"Oops." She gasped.

Keane cleared his throat. I broke the kiss with a groan. I'd never hear the end of this.

* * *

_A/N: I have a new story out. It's a total original fiction. My first attempt at something not fan fiction. Please go give it a quick read, leave me a comment about what you think.  
Also big THANKS to my contest winner for a month back I picked the name Eloise. Thanks AmyLily22. Eloise will be back in many more chapters, I have big plans for her ;)_


	18. Chapter 17 - The Death of a friendship

**Chapter 17  
****The Death of a friendship**

I quickly jumped away from Nick while Keane and a woman I did not know walked into the room.

-"Dude, ever hear of knocking?" Nick growled, standing up but his stance quickly changed when he noticed the woman. "Ana, I didn't know you were coming."

I watched the woman carefully as she just shrugged at Nick's words. He had called her Ana. This was Ana, as in my sister Anastasia? She walked in, staying close to Keane. She seemed upset and not willing to talk but my eyes were firmly fixed on her. _My sister._ My real sister was here.

Keane turned to Ana, ignoring Nick's outburst.

-"Anastasia, I am going to London and you are coming with me." Ana was about to say something but he held up his hand. "I will not take no for answer, you will come with me and that is final." He started to reach up as if he wanted to sweep Ana's hair that had fallen in her face, but he quickly balled up his hand into a fist and dropped it to his side. "You will not stay here with that bloody imbecile. Anyway I could use your help."

-"What could you use _my_ help with?" Ana asked curiously. "Lately everyone wants me out of the way."

Keane moved to the side and extended his hand out for me to come closer.

This was my sister. The one I had only just learned about days ago. I just knew by looking at her. I could also see why Keane was so smitten with her. She was beautiful. Not classic like beauty. No hers was much different and so much better. With her dark hair and clear hazel eyes, they made a startling contrast. But what was really noticeable about Ana was her inner beauty. There was just something so sweet that radiated from her and made me want to protect her.

Although I somehow knew she and I were family, there was hardly a resemblance other then we were both as pale as ghosts. Otherwise we were completed opposites. My hair was extremely light while hers was dark. She was short and I easily towered her.

-"Anastasia, this is Evie."

Ana turned her eyes to me and I felt myself suddenly feeling nervous.

-"The girl Nick was talking about with Zak?"

-"Yes."

Ana's eyes lit up.

-"You are that amazing girl that brought back the ghost?" Ana asked wistfully. I nodded, suddenly feeling tongue-tied. Did she know she had a sister? "That is amazing." She turned her attention back to Keane. "Is she like me?"

For the first time since I had met Keane, he let out a true laugh that came from deep down. His eyes lit up and a smile appeared on his lips. It was obvious he was crazy in love with Ana.

-"She is more than just like you luv. You could say she an exact copy."

Ana furrowed her brow.

-"What do you mean?"

-"Anastasia, this is Evelyn, your sister."

Ana let out a strange sound that was between a gasp and a scream. Her hand flew over her mouth as she took a step back, disbelief and fear reflected in her eyes.

-"My sister?" She whispered. "I – I don't understand."

Keane reached for Ana and stopped her from crashing into the wall behind her.

-"It's alright Anastasia, she will not harm you."

-"But you said –" Ana gasped for breath as her face turned ghostly white with fear. "You said she was going to kill me, you said it was in some prophecy."

Keane nodded.

-"I did ... but prophecies are like riddles, they have many meanings."

Ana gazed at Keane with doubt clouding her eyes, I felt my heart sink. She was afraid of me. Just like my— our mother and father. They feared me.

-"I – I have to go." I tried to bolt for the door but Nick acted with speed and grabbed my arm. "Let go!" I cried.

-"Evie stop." Nick pulled me back a bit harder than he had meant too causing me to fling backwards into his chest where he instinctively wrapped his arms around me. My back was pressed hard against his chest as I felt his head lower to my ear. "Remember what I said, I will not let anyone hurt you, just hear Keane out."

Nick kept his arms around me while I let his words sink in. I should trust Nick, a little at least. I had to hear Keane out. Slowly, my body relaxed. Feeling my body go lax, Nick gradually let go of his tight embrace but did not move from where he stood, keeping me tucked against him.

-"Ana trust me; I would not have brought you here if I thought she was a danger to you." I heard Keane whisper quickly to Ana.

When I turned around, I noticed Ana was against the wall; her face wore a fearful expression, while Keane towered over her, standing so close to her I doubted I could fit a sheet of paper between them. Ana gave him a single nod, agreeing to trust him.

Keane kept his eyes on Ana a moment longer before turning to face everyone in the room. Unable to help myself, I felt a brief stab of sadness. No wonder Keane had ever had feelings for me, not like what he had for Ana. The love he felt for her was more obvious than a person's nose on their face.

Keane opened his mouth to speak, but before he could Ana's soft voice spoke.

-"Why did you tell me I was going to die in those dreams?" She asked quietly.

I looked at Nick who gave me a small smile and a nod of encouragement.

-"I – I never meant too. I can't control it, it just seemed to happen. I didn't even know who you were." Ana gave me a sympathetic nod, as if she understood what I meant about the lack of control. "I would never hurt anyone, intentionally, especially my – sister." I finished, carefully trying out the word for the first time in my life. My sister.

I watched Ana take a step forward towards me while Keane watched us closely. He grabbed Ana's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

-"You are both powerful sisters, with each your own powers that can help and destroy the Guardian. I believe your father, Ana, your adoptive father, knew this and kept you both separated for your own safety until you were much older."

-"Why?" Ana and I asked at the same time.

Keane opened his mouth to reply but before he could the hotel room door swung open.

* * *

Ana could not believe she found her sister. Her real sister! She felt a flood of emotions swell inside of her. Evie was nothing like her physically wise. Her sister was tall and slender, what she always wished she was. Her hair was such a light blonde it almost appeared white in some light but her eyes, they were just like her own, a striking hazel in color.

She finally had someone who was her real family, along with someone who understood what it was like to have these strange powers. She had so many questions for her, but before she could ask any the door to the room burst opened.

To Ana's dismay Zak and that woman, Eloise rushed inside as if there was a fire in the hallway behind them.

-"Zak?" Ana cried surprise to see her husband.

-"Ana, what the fuck are you doing?" Zak growled, not missing the fact that she was holding Keane's hand.

-"Evelyn Thompson?" Eloise spoke to Evie, ignoring everyone in the room.

Evie glanced back at Nick with fear written all over her face.

-"What the hell is going on?" Nick asked, all while taking a step in front of Evie, just as she felt Keane's grip tightened on her hand.

Ana peered at Keane with worry. His face was hard as he stared daggers at Zak. Whatever was going on here, the men in the room knew something she did not.

-"You brought a government agent here?" Keane grounded out, tucking Ana behind him, much like Nick had done with Evie.

_Government agent?_ What was he talking about?

-"Are you Evelyn Thompson?" Eloise repeated. When Evie nodded the woman took a step forward and all the men in the room tightened their grips. "I am not here to hurt you." Eloise held her hands up as a show of peace. "I am here to help you."

Ana furrowed her brow. She had never been so confused in her life. Zak was acting strangely, Keane wanted her to go away with him and she had found her sister. Her real life sister. Except now some strange woman who had claimed to be a ghost hunter was now a government agent.

-"Like bloody hell you are here to help." Keane growled.

-"Zak, what the hell is going on?" Nick asked again.

Everyone in the room began to talk all at once, asking and demanding answers to their questions. The noise was enough to make a person go insane. The emotions ran high and were starting to feel too oppressive for Ana to even think. She took a step back and covered her hands over her ears with a cringe. Keane and Zak had been teaching her to be more in touch with emotions of the people around her, but she could not control it well, and this was one of those moments.

-"ENOUGH!" Evie finally screamed. "Everyone shut up!" She stomped over to Ana and with care, Evie wrap her arm around her shoulder and guided her to the bed to sit down. "Hey, it's okay, just relax." She whispered lovingly.

Everyone in the room quieted down but the tension did not break. But at least it gave Ana a moment to think freely without all the words plaguing her mind.

-"Will someone please tell me what is going on?" Ana murmured as she massaged her temples.

Eloise nodded.

-"I work for a secret government agency. Our mission is to stop and neutralize the Guardian before he can set foot on this world."

Ana let those words sink in. An agency of the government knew about the Guardian? This was starting to sound all too familiar. She had already been down this road once before and she couldn't believe that people like this had not learned anything from her father's mistakes.

-"An agency like the one my father worked for?" She asked horrified.

Eloise shook her head of short dirty blonde hair.

-"No, but he was the inspiration for this unit, you could say you have a whole task team trying to protect you, Ana."

Ana furrowed her brow. She didn't want a whole team doing anything for her, especially if they were anything like the men her father worked for.

-"I can take care of myself." She said coolly, surprising herself. She felt anything but cool right now.

-"I beg to different, you barely made it out alive with your last encounter with the Guardian and frankly we cannot put the whole world safety in your hands. That is insane!" Eloise let out a light laugh.

-"I am protecting her." Keane spoke up; his voice was low and dangerous.

-"Yeah, we have seen what you can do, the protector that has abandoned his post." Eloise's steel eyes narrowed on Keane. "You are worthless! The Guardian was never even supposed to wake up but you and the other protectors just didn't give a shit. Well now, we are here to clean up your mess."

-"What does that mean?"

-"We have the key to killing the Guardian once and for all. Both him and this spirit world he lives in." Eloise walked to the center of the room. "Over the last year we have been watching and waiting. We have gathered a lot of intelligence thanks to Zak, and we now understand how to close that doorway and get rid of the Guardian."

Everyone turned to Zak.

-"Zak?" Ana whispered. Her voice shook. "You – You know about all this?"

The room was so eerily silent, not even the sound of someone's breath was heard. Everyone was holding their breath, waiting for his answer. Zak shifted awkwardly on his feet but kept his dark blue sapphire gaze on Ana, never blinking once he finally opened his mouth to speak.

-"Yes, I knew about it. I have been helping the unit for almost a year and a half, giving them information about our investigations ... and about you, Ana."

As Zak finished his last words, all hell broke loose. Keane lunged for Zak just as Nick swore loudly at his best friend's words.

-"You bloody traitor; you sold out your own wife for what?" Keane roared all evidence of his usual calm exterior self was gone.

The room erupted in several screams and swears as Keane grabbed Zak by the jacket collar and slammed hard against the wall. Although Keane was a bit taller than Zak, he was no match muscle wise. Keane was lean and slim, while Zak worked out daily and had the biceps to prove it. But Zak never moved to fight or defend himself; he simply let himself be pushed against the wall.

Keane cocked his fist and with one hard jab, swung right into Zak's jaw. The blow was powerful and the sound of flesh and bone being hit resonated through the room. Keane might have been slender and wiry looking but he was also an immortal warrior with secret strength and speed.

-"I have always known you were nothing but a bloody coward, Bagans." Keane spat.

Just then Nick and Eloise quickly moved to separate Keane from Zak, which prove harder than anyone had anticipated. The two men stood nose to nose, glaring at each other, while Nick tried to step between them. Eloise tugged and pulled on Keane's bicep, trying to get him to budge.

-"Keane." Ana spoke softly but firmly from the side of the room. "Keane, I want to go, now." She pleaded between a hidden sob and a hiccup.

With a last glare, Keane let go of Zak and moved away, but Keane was not quite ready to leave. He turned to Eloise who gave a slight flinched at his deathly stare.

-"How do you plan to kill the Guardian?"

-"That, is why I am here." She turned to Evie, who had been standing off to the side, silently watching the drama unfold. "Like Ana, she can go into the shadow realm, but because she gives life, she is the opposite of the Guardian. He is death. She is life. If she steps foot in the world, that whole place will self-implode and she will take the Guardian with her."

-"What?!" The whole room cried.

Ana could not believe what she was hearing. Ana gripped her sister's hand tightly. The lights in the room magically dimmed at the action but no one seemed to notice.

-"Are you telling me that you want to make Evie go to the shadow world just so she can die?" Ana exclaimed outraged.

-"She would be saving the whole planet from a monster, which is a very worthy cause." Eloise replied, her temper starting to rise.

-"But he isn't even out! I wouldn't let him out." Ana countered angrily.

-"The Guardian has people working for him, how long before you get kidnapped again?" Eloise scowled at Ana. "You were already kidnapped one, except you won't be as lucky next time. No, this was the best possible solution."

It was obvious Eloise was not open to negotiations. Ana turned her eyes to Zak. She regarded the man she had been married too for the last two years with bitterness.

-"And you knew ... you knew about this whole sick, twisted plan all along? You were going to just hand them over my _sister?" _Ana felt herself unraveling.

Zak shook his head, for the first time sadness was written all over his face. Tears filled his eyes but he quickly blinked them away.

-"I had no idea the girl was your sister. I swear." He pleaded desperately. "Sweetie, please, I would never –"

The lights in the room slowly began to shine a bit brighter.

-"You'll never get her!" Ana screamed, shocking everyone in the room. "No one will take my sister from me." The glow of the room suddenly became so bright that the light sockets began to spark. But Ana didn't notice, she kept her hand tightly around Evie's and with a hard tug, she pulled she pulled Evie with her, leaving the room and Zak behind.

Keane wasted no time and hurried behind Ana.

**oOo**

Zak was left standing alone in the room as he watched his entire world walk out on him. He was left standing alone with what was once his best friend. Sadly he couldn't even bear to look at him.

-"Can you give Zak and me a minute alone?" Nick asked Eloise. His voice was firm and cold.

Eloise gave a nod and exited the room, leaving Nick alone with Zak.

-"Dude ..." Nick started, but stopped, unsure on how to even formula his thoughts into words.

Zak straightened up and looked at one of his oldest friends. He knew what Nick saw, a man who he did not recognize. A man who appeared to have lost his way, but Zak still firmly believed this was the only solution to keep his family safe.

-"What the fuck have you been doing man?" Nick finally asked, fury blazing in his voice. "You are in this secret government agency, giving them information on our investigations?" Nick's voice raised as shock and resentment started to take over. "You are plotting fucking murder?"

-"It didn't start off that way." Zak replied lamely.

-"No? Then fucking enlightened me, because right now all I want to do is beat the living shit out of you."

Zak moved from his spot against the wall and started to pace. Pacing was good, it was better than standing still, being motionless for too long gave him time to think, and he didn't want to think.

-"It was just information at first. They said they wanted to protect Ana. That they had a plan but they needed more information on ghosts and spirits. So they came to me. I – I just wanted to protect Ana and Zoe. But once I started giving them the information they wanted they came up with this plan, that we just had to find Evie. She would put an end to all of this."

Nick flexed his fists, working hard on keeping his temper from going out of control.

-"So your little gang started to plan fucking murder?" Nick took a step towards Zak.

Zak faced his friend with a hateful glare.

-"One person can save the whole world. Don't you think it's worth it? She could stop everything! The attacks on Ana, the fear she has of being kidnapped, everything would end."

-"Do you even hear yourself?" Nick screamed, losing control of his temper. "Do you even fucking hear yourself? You are talking about killing someone. It doesn't matter who it is, it's not right, Zak!" Nick took a step closer to the man that was once his friend. "And like hell I will let you touch even one hair on Evie's head."

Nick turned to walk away, before he did anything he might regret. Unfortunately Zak was not going to make it easy for him.

-"Don't stand in the way, Nick. You will get hurt. Just walk away from her before you get yourself more invested."

Nick stopped dead in his tracks. With his back still turned he lowered his head and shut his eyes for a brief moment. He could not believe his long friendship with Zak was turning into this. Zak knew the struggles he had lived through since his soon-to-be ex-wife had left him. The fact that Nick was even remotely interested in a new person should have been cause to celebrate, but apparently his friend did not see it that it.

-"Are you threatening me?" Nick asked in a low voice.

-"No, I am just saying, the unit will not stop until they get Evie. You saw what they did to Cole ... I don't want you to get hurt, your my friend."

Nick let out a biter laugh.

-"Save your advice for someone else, because we are not friends, and I won't listen to advice from a liar."

With that Nick left the room and went to find Evie and the others.

**oOo**

Ana arrived at the airport in a cloud of haze. Although she knew what had just happened it all seemed surreal. In a matter of minutes she had gained a sister but lost her husband. The one man that had seen past all her faults and flaws.

She had always known how lucky she was. She had the perfect marriage or so she thought. A man who loved and worshipped her, she got to travel with him and they never seemed to grow tired of one another. But it had all been a lie. Zak had been lying the enter relationship.

Keane helped her check her luggage and get their tickets for their flight to New York.

-"I need to phone the airline for our tickets to London." Keane spoke softly to her. "I will be right back, will you be alright?"

-"Yes, of course." Ana dismissed, she hated being babied.

Keane gave her a sad smile and left her standing while he made his phone call. As she watched him slowly stroll away, Ana silently thanked whoever had sent him to look after her. Even though Zak had been lying for some time, Keane had been honest and supportive, and even now when she felt alone and betrayed she knew he would always be there for her.

-"Ana!"

She quickly turned to see a frazzled Zak, rushing over to her. Ana felt her whole body stiffen, yet couldn't help the surge of joy at the sight of him. He had come for her. Zak jogged and stopped near her. He looked terrible. His always perfect hair was flat, while his face was covered in a fine sheen of sweat.

-"Go away." Ana grumbled. Although happy to see him, she was not ready to talk to Zak yet.

-"Please, just hear me out." Zak pleaded, so when Ana didn't reply he continued. "I – Ana I love you, you have to believe that."

-"I don't have to do anything. You have been lying to me for years!" Ana's voice rose. "Years!"

-"I never wanted to lie, but I knew you would never understand." Zak lowered his gaze and Ana felt a stab of guilt for a moment.

This is Zak. The man she had loved from the moment she had set eyes on him. He was her world.

-"But you did lie." Ana felt tears starting to rise. He was her world that was not shattered into a million pieces. "You lied to me …" Fresh tears welled in her eyes. "I trusted you, I confided in you!"

-"I just want to protect you, that's all. I never lied about anything else, I swear!"

Ana considered his words for a moment.

-"Then give it up." Ana crossed her arms over her chest. "Give up this insane plan and come to London with me. We will find another solution."

Ana bit her lower lip as she watched Zak consider her words. Holding her breath she waited.

-"No, this is the right thing to do. I don't want to hurt anyone, especially your sister." Zak kept his gaze on Ana as tears freely ran down her cheeks at his words. "What makes you think you can trust her Ana? She told you that you would die. I can't just ignore that."

Ana felt her heart breaking all over again. She could not understand for the life of her why he is so bound on doing this. She was not going to let him destroy what little family she had left. Looking at Zak, Ana sucked in a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. With one last glance at him she reached down and grabbed her carry-on bag.

-"Then I am sorry that you will be wasting your time to protect me, because I am no longer your concern."

With that she left him standing there and hurried over to Keane who had been watching not too far away. Ana was definitely ready to leave this place for good.


	19. Chapter 18 - Fade into you

**Chapter 18  
Fade into you**

The next few hours were a bit of the blur. Nick had been keeping a close watch as if afraid I might disappear into thin air. But nothing eventful happened and we landed in New York in no time.

Nick had spent most of the flight filling me in about this Guardian creature and what had happened with Ana. Now I understood why she was so freaked out with me. She had been through hell and here I was appearing in her dreams telling her she was going to die. I would have been scared to death as well.

But now that Nick had told me everything it had me worried. _I was able to step into a whole other world? There was another world?!_ That was just insane. But the fact that we knew that a government agency wanted me to kill this Guardian creature was very unnerving. Even more so because it would kill me in the process. I wasn't quite sure how to react to that and it left me with quite a dilemma to deal with.

When we landed in New York, Keane had ordered Nick to come with me to my apartment, while he and Ana stayed behind. We had to be quick; our flight to London was leaving in four hours. Fortunately Nick was very efficient and we had rented a car within minutes and we were driving down the busy streets towards my place in no time at all.

It was a bit before two a.m. but New York City was the city that never slept. Traffic was heavy but not what it would be in a few hours from now, during rush hour. We could have taken a cab but the thought of having to rely on a stranger to get us back on time to the airport was a bit too risky.

But as we drove, weaving left and right, in and out of traffic I couldn't help but notice that Nick had been unusually quiet after the flight and now he seemed extremely tense and angry. His grip on the steering wheel was so tight that his knuckles had turned white. His jaw was strung rigidly as he glared at the traffic in front of him.

-"Nick, are you alright?" I finally asked after he swerved violently for the sixth time.

Nick shrugged but I didn't miss his jaw line tightened even more. Nick fiercely turned the wheel and went around two more cars that were going to slow for his taste. I held on tightly to the door as he got back in the right lane. I thought about asking again if he was alright but he spoke before I could ask.

His voice was soft but ragged.

-"I lived through a lot of shit the last few years. A weird parallel world that my best friend's wife could go into, my own wife cheating." Nick paused, his tone was deadly. "But I just found out my best friend isn't who I thought he was ... He is some fucking deranged man." Nick slammed his hand against the steering wheel before gripping it again so tightly he could have ripped it off its mount. "He has been lying to all of us for years!" His voice rose. "Years!"

-"I am sure he had good reasons." I quickly said, flinching at my poor choice of words, but I wanted to calm Nick down.

-"There are no good reasons to lie to your friends. He's been lying to Ana of all people! Do you know how hard he had to fight to get her in the first place? Now he is going to lose her to fucking Keane, and he deserves it." He added bitterly.

I furrowed my brow. I knew there was no excuse for Zak's behavior but I could tell when he had been in the same as Ana that he cared for her, somewhat. But on the other hand there was no reason to lie to the people who loved you. I hoped for everyone's case that Zak must have done this with good reason …

-"I think you really should hear him out." I finally added.

Nick violently turned his head towards me. His eyes blazed with anger which made me shrink into my seat.

-"I have nothing left to say to that asshole, next time I see him, my fist will connect with his face and that is it." Nick turned his eyes back on the road. "He is taking part of an organization that wants to kill you, Evie. How can you defend him?"

Unsure what else I could say I stayed quiet before I said anything else to make him more upset. I really did not know Zak, but I had to believe that somewhere inside him there was a good man, he was just lost. At least I hoped for my sister's sake.

I had not spoken much to Ana, but when I did, she was everything anyone could ever want as a sister. She was caring and doting, even after the shock she had suffered. I could also see how much Keane loved her. I knew Keane better than most, and if Zak did not get his act together he was going to lose her, and I would be the first to congratulate my sister. I just wanted her happiness.

The rest of the trip to my small apartment was quiet except for when I had to tell him to turn. Surprisingly, Nick found a parking spot right in front of my building and we both ran up to fetch my passport and some more clothing, although Nick was not much help.

-"We need to hurry." He quipped several times as I would dash by him with armfuls of clothing and different things I might need on my trip.

I grabbed things left and right doing my best to hurry.

-"I'm going! I've never been to Europe, what should I bring?" I huffed out but Nick said very little except watched me with some amusement.

-"Is this how you always pack?" He finally asked as I crammed a final t-shirt into my spare suitcase.

I ignored him as I put all my weight down on the bag and tried to bring the zipper up and around the stuffed bag. When the plastic clamps finally zipped up together I let out a small sigh of relief. I was not the most efficient packer, especially at the last minute. I knew I was forgetting something but it was more important that we get out of here before our flight left.

But as I whirled around to tell Nick I was ready to go, to my surprise he stood inches from me, towering over me. I let out a gasp of surprise but he seemed unfazed by my shock. His face was serious but his eyes were bright and full of mischief.

-"Uhm – We really should go." I looked around him.

-"I think we should talk." He replied firmly.

-"About?" I felt my annoyance grow slightly. He had been rushing me, and now he wanted to talk.

Nick suddenly put an arm on each of my sides. He took a step closer. His chest was pressed up against mine. Nick kept his eyes riveted on me as if he were a predator hunting its prey. Feeling slightly intimidated I tried to side step around him but he kept his hands firmly on me, making it impossible to move.

-"About us."

I felt myself turn flush at his choice of words.

-"There is nothing to talk about." I said trying to avoid his piercing stare.

What had happened between us was nothing. It was just a weak moment we had both had in the club. That was all.

-"So you always almost have sex with guys at dance clubs?"

-"No, of course not!" I snapped. "But there is nothing to talk about either. You are still married and I am not looking for anything serious."

-"You know very well I am getting divorced and she means nothing to me, not since I met you, Evie."

I did not want to hear this. I couldn't. Not now. There was too much going on, too much at stake. I couldn't risk it. I was already putting enough people in danger who were trying to protect me; I couldn't let myself fall for Nick. With resolve I tried to push at Nick's chest to free myself from his grasp but he grabbed my wrists in each of his hands and held them firmly to my sides. I could still pull away if I wanted too, but I didn't.

He leaned his head down near mine.

-"Kiss me, Evie." His face was so handsome. He seemed almost on the verge of grinning.

I lifted my chin in defiance.

-"Why would I want to do that?" I asked in a breathy voice.

-"You like kissing me." He replied proudly. And God knew, he was right. I loved to kiss him. There had been very little else I had thought about since our night at the club. "Shit." Nick mumbled, as a grin did appear on his lips. "I enjoy being with you." His grin turned into a wide smile, showing off his perfect white teeth. "You bring a sense of peace to me, even in this giant fucked up mess."

_Don't look at him_, I told myself. _He is trying to charm me, _I repeated in my head.

-"Nick ... we can't do this." I mumbled.

He released my wrists and straightened up.

-"Why?"

I gave him a little push so I could move at a safe distance. I was starting to suffocate and needed room to think. Stomping my way to my bedroom I tried to get away from Nick, but he simply followed and shut the door behind him. I kept my back to him unable to look at him.

-"There are people after me Nick ... bad people who want me to kill some creature."

-"Yes and we will stop them, no one will hurt you."

I shook my head.

-"That is exactly the problem. I don't want you to get hurt, if you or Ana got hurt because of me ..." I trailed off.

Nick was silent for a moment as I heard him walk to the small window. Out of the corner of my eye I watch him gaze out at the city.

-"Evie, I understand your concern but I can decide who I put my life on the line for." Nick turned around and faced me. "You are worth saving." I felt my breath hitch at his words. No one had ever said anything like that to me ... Nick then started to approach me with the same hunter like expression he had earlier. Anger and desire flashed in his eyes. "I will protect you, and there isn't a damn thing you can do about it."

-"Nick," I started to protest, but before I could finish, he suddenly wrapped his arms around me and pushed me backwards into the wall.

My back slammed into the drywall just as his body pressed up against mine. He stopped for a moment and stared at me, seeming to be considering his action but without warning his mouth found my lips. His tongue wrapped around mine. It was a raw kiss, drenched in impatience and determination.

My hands automatically snaked upwards and ran through his short, spiky hair. While his lips devoured mine I came to the realization that I shared the same need, the same feeling of insatiable hunger that had to be filled immediately.

Trying hard to remember what was at stake, that this was the worst possible idea. But those thoughts were futile. All my doubts and fears were just distant notion now. Instead, all I could think about was that I needed Nick.

Unable to stop myself I grounded my hips into him. My tongue darted out and met his. I bit his lower lip and a moan escape from his throat. In turn, Nick pushed himself hard into me. I could feel his erection straining against his trousers.

-"I want to see you." I whispered, wanting only to revel in the glory of his naked chest no longer caring what my apprehension was about earlier. I needed to run my hands over the swells of his muscles.

He chuckled lightly, moving himself back slightly, letting me remove his shirt up and over his head. When he was naked from the waist up, I eyed him greedily. Nick looped his hands underneath my shirt and pulled it up and over my shoulders.

I didn't say anything has he dropped it on the ground, revealing my breasts as they strained against my bra which suddenly felt entirely too confining. Nick's eyes focused on my breasts, his cheeks flushed. His gaze found mine as he reached around and undid my bra, pulling the straps down my arms with agonizing slowness until I felt the sting of the air on my nipples.

-"Beautiful." Nick whispered as his gaze settled on my breasts. He plied them with his hands before bending down and taking one nipple in his mouth, his tongue teasing. I ran my hands through his hair and dropped my head back, closing my eyes as I enjoyed the flush of excitement and anticipation building up within me.

A moan escaped my mouth and I felt Nick break away from me. I opened my eyes and faced him in confusion. He was breathing hard, his chest rising and falling with exertion. He took my hands and pulled me to the bed

-"I need to be inside you, now." Nick said in a tight voice as he toyed with the button to my jeans. "I can't wait anymore, Evie." He sounded pained.

I nodded, not only understanding his need, but sharing it. I lifted up my hips as he helped me slide out of my jeans taking my underwear with them. Covering my body with his he palmed my right breast, rolling my nipple between his fingers as my breathing sped up.

He suddenly dropped my breast, his hand traveled south, down my body, crossing the threshold of my thighs and pausing just between my legs. When I felt his fingers on me, I jumped slightly and closed my eyes, letting my head fall back against the mattress as I felt his fingers caress me from top to bottom, flicking my sensitive nub.

-"Open your eyes." Nick abruptly demanded with an intensity I had never seen. He pushed a finger inside me and I bucked again. Biting my lower lip hard I opened my eyes only to find his eyes fastened on mine, glowing with raw passion and desire. "Evie, I will always be here for you, I swear."

I nodded, unable to speak, unsure I believed him but that just didn't seem to matter right now. Nick bent down and kissed me with a jolting punishing passion, showing me how much he did truly care. Coming to realization of what he was promising me, I decided it was my turn to put my heart on the line.

-"I want you." I whimpered boldly, blushing at my choice of words.

Nick said nothing, but reached down. The sound of his fly opening rang through the room, mingling with our ragged panting. He moved briefly and let his pants slide down his legs and without wasting another moment he pushed himself between my legs until I could feel the swollen tip of him at my entrance. I tried to prepare myself for his plunge, but when I felt him slide into me, my breath caught.

-"Are you okay?" He asked, eyeing me with sincere concern.

I nodded adamantly and reached around him, pushing his lower back towards me.

-"Stop talking." I whispered as he chuckled and trust himself until he was deeply inside me. I arched against him and moaned as he started his rhythm of pushing in and out of me.

I dug my fingers into the bulk of his arms, burying my face in the curve his strong neck and shoulder as he crashed into me. I couldn't hold back the sharp cry as I felt an intense wave of pleasure hit me.

Nick let out a raw, animalistic snarl as I let my lips wander to his neck, letting my tongue explore his tender skin, biting lightly. Nick growled again and let out a dark curse, but my actions only encouraged him to pump his hips with more fury. I wrapped my legs around him drawing him deeper.

I felt something blossom inside of me and I clenched my eyes tightly, allowing the orgasm to seize me. I screamed out with the force of it and dug my nails hard into Nick's back, trying to pull him even closer to me. He pushed into me even harder and faster.

-"Fuck," he gasp, as he threw his head back and roared. Nick collapse on top of me – breathing hard. "Evie," he rasped, the only thing he could manage.

I moved in for a kiss that he deepened right away, sucking on my lower lip between his teeth. I knew at that exactly moment I was in deep trouble. I couldn't let myself fall for this man ... Slowly breaking the kiss Nick pressed his forehead to mine and closed his eyes.

I was definitely in big trouble...

* * *

**A/N:**

**A quick note, I have a new Zak/GA story only available on Wattpad. The link to Wattpad is in my profile so check it out!**


	20. Chapter 19 - Open Heart

**Chapter 19**  
**Open heart**

Nick let out a long breath as his heart slowly returned to its regular rhythm. With his forehead still pressed against Evie's, he inhaled deeply her intoxicating aroma. This had not been his plan at all. He certainly had not come back to Evie's apartment to have sex with her, not that he regretted it but Evie deserved better than a quick hump. But he had not been quite himself when he had kissed her.

Nick's emotions had been a mess the entire way to New York, but being around Evie somehow calmed him down. Before they arrived to the apartment Nick had been fuming with a burning rage. The more he thought about Zak the more pissed off he had become. Zak had been his friend for years. They had started Ghost Adventures together and had been friends since that first documentary were filmed and now it was all gone.

Although some of his anger was a result of guilt. Nick partly blamed himself for his friend's downfall. He had been so absorbed in his own problems that he had been a poor buddy. Maybe he could have seen the changes in Zak and caught them before his friend got in over his head with the strange group he was now a part of. But what-ifs would not fix anything now.

Yet even knowing that he could not change the past, Nick's anger had slowly been eating away at him the entire flight back to New York. As he told Evie the story of the experiences Zak and Ana had lived through because of the Guardian his fury slowly simmered and bubbled in the background. By the time the plane had landed he was ready to beat the living shit out of someone or something. Nick not only felt betrayed by Zak but he couldn't help the deep smoldering rage towards the whole situation. Zak was helping this group of people who would send Evie into that shadow world to kill the Guardian, resulting in her death as well.

The only woman Nick had been able to find a connection too in the last three years and found himself caring about.

Evie brought a sense of peace to him, even now when his anger towards Zak was just under the surface, she helped appease it and keep the worse of it at bay. He had meant everything he said to Evie. He would protect her or die trying. No one was going to lay a finger on this woman without paying the ultimate price.

But now Nick had a whole new problem. He was laying in bed, naked with Evie and all he wanted to do was remain there and ravish her another hundred times, but they had a flight to catch in roughly two hours. They had to get moving. Reluctantly Nick rolled off of Evie and they both dressed with speed, neither one said a word. Silence was so unlike her. He started to wonder if she was having second thoughts about what they had just done.

Unsure on what to say Nick simply kept quiet, and apart from her giving him brief directions back to the airport, they had both remained silent. They arrived at the airfield just in time to board the plane, although before taking off Nick had a few words with Keane.

-"Hey, can we talk for a minute, dude?"

Keane nodded and left both Ana and Evie standing in line so they didn't lose their spot.

-"Did any problems arise at Evelyn's flat?" Keane asked, looking worried.

-"No, no, everything was fine."

Seeming relieved, Keane's shoulder's sagged a bit.

-"Good. I know that the government agency will not stop pursuing us. The fact that they let us leave Chicago without a fight has me worried."

Nick nodded, not having considered that. _Why hadn't anyone stopped them?_

-"I just – If we are going to be working together, I want to tell you that there is no secrets between us." Nick stood toe to toe with Keane, his eyes narrowed on him. "If I find out you are lying – about anything, I am taking Evie and Ana home and I will take my chances on my own, got it?"

A smile curved on Keane's lips, making Nick uneasy.

-"Of course." Keane paused for a moment as if he was considering what the best words to use next. "I have what I want, and I plan to protect it. I will work with you on this, only because Ana would be devastated if something happened to her sister. Evie is of no concern of mine otherwise."

Nick's fists clenched and unclenched. He was so sick of people willing to sacrifice Evie without a second thought. Evie was a beautiful and clever woman ... how could everyone just toss her away? Nick took a slow deep breath, and held it in, trying to keep his temper in check. He reminded himself that he needed Keane _for now_. Nick extended his hand out towards Keane.

-"We keep them safe together." Nick grounded out tightly.

Keane gave a wide smile and a curt nod as he gripped Nick's hand in a surprising tight grip. The two men shook and Nick silently prayed he hadn't just made a deal with the devil.

**oOo**

Nick took a seat next to Evie, ready for another long flight.

He was used to long trips. Long flights and car rides were a part of his job. It seemed that he spent more time on the road then doing actual investigation sometimes. Traveling and hotel rooms were something he was accustomed too but for some odd reason this flight made him nervous, he felt off and he couldn't quite put a finger on it, it was as if something bad was waiting for them in London.

-"I have never been out of the country, except for visiting Canada." Evie spoke softly bringing his attention back to this moment.

-"London is a nice place, different."

-"Have you been many times?"

-"A few, for investigations." Nick quickly added, not willing to say more. Everywhere he had traveled was for ghost hunting and it had been with Zak. He could not afford to let his anger get the better of him.

She nodded, sensing his discomfort on the topic and turned her attention to the flight attendant who was giving her speech on flying etiquette and what to do in case of an emergency. While her attention was elsewhere, Nick kept his eyes on Evie and let his thoughts drift.

Evie was not like his ex-wife at all. Jennifer was tall and wispy while Evie was much shorter then he and she had curves. He liked a woman who had a shape to her. The last thing he wanted was to be able to count her bones simply by touch.

No, a woman was meant to have curves to her shape and a softness that reflected both in and out, and Evie certainly had all of those things. She was petite but not like Ana who almost had fae qualities. The small brunette was pretty enough but not his type at all. She emitted an aura of fragility. Nick was thankful that her sister, Evie was the complete opposite and screamed strength and independence.

-"I wish I brought my IPod." Evie suddenly spoke with a frown.

Nick glanced around, almost wondering if he had dozed off. The plane had taken off and some people were up and moving around freely. He gave Evie a smile and without much thought he slipped his hand onto her lap.

-"Sorry, I should have reminded you."

Evie's eyes darted to her lap where his hand had landed. She blushed and as if he were on fire she quickly swatted his hand away from her leg.

-"What the hell are you doing?" She hissed.

Nick, confused shook his head.

-"What?"

-"Just because we ... had sex, doesn't mean we are some sort of item." Evie snarled out angrily.

Nick furrowed his brow in confusion. He had no idea where Evie's sudden ire was coming from.

-"Sorry, I just meant to comfort you –"

-"Well I don't need it."

Nick felt his annoyance spike up.

-"Evie, what the hell is your problem?" His voice grew louder.

Evie crossed her arms.

-"I just don't need you pawing at me."

-"Who's pawing? I just wanted to offer my girlfriend some reassurance that everything is okay."

Evie twisted her body towards him, her face was red and her eyes were ablaze with irritation.

-"_Girlfriend?"_ She practically shouted. "Since when are we dating?"

-"I –" Nick wanted to kick himself. He had not meant to say girlfriend, it had merely slipped out, but her revulsion to it was rather obvious. Nick felt himself shrink at her disgust. "Yeah, never mind. I don't know what the fuck I was thinking." He snapped.

Just then a small voice interrupted them.

-"Excuse me ..." Both Evie and Nick turned to find a small flight attendant looking at them rather uncomfortably. "You both need to keep your voices down ... _please_." She added quickly.

Evie stiffly stood.

-"Fine." She stomped off to the row next to them and tapped Keane on the shoulder. He looked a bit too cozy and pleased with himself to be sitting next to Ana. "Could I sit here?" She asked her voice tight.

Keane nodded and gave his seat up for Evie. He casually strolled to Evie's old seat and sat down, giving Nick a big grin.

-"Problems in paradise, mate?"

* * *

Ana dozed lightly most of the flight to London. She was exhausted. Between flying to Chicago and all of the drama Zak had put her through then a flight to New York and now to London she could barely keep her eyes open, but after her fourth catnap she finally woke up to find her sister, Evie, sitting next to her seeming to be lost in thought.

-"Hey." Ana spoke groggily as she straightened up in her seat.

Evie twisted her head to side and gave Ana a big smile.

-"Hey, you're alive." She joked.

-"Sort of ... I thought you were sitting next to Nick?"

Evie shrugged.

-"We started arguing and some of the passengers didn't look to happy, so I switched seats with Keane."

A small smile curled onto Ana's lips.

-"So you and Nick huh?" She said casually, trying to get some juicy gossip.

-"Nick and me, what?" Evie looked away as her face turned flushed.

Ana let out a small laugh.

-"I might have just meet you but I can recognize when someone is smitten." Evie rolled her eye but said nothing, leaving Ana to guess what was going on and since this woman was her sister she would bet that she had trust issues, it seemed to run in the family. "Nick is a good guy." Ana finally said thoughtfully. "He's one of the last few good guys apparently too." She added with a bit of bitterness.

Evie gave Ana a side glance. Seeing her sister's sad expression she grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly.

-"I know Nick is a good guy." Evie paused. "I – I just don't want him getting hurt on my account."

Ana nodded understanding those feelings all too well. It seemed like everyone was always out of protect her. She had thought those days were over with and that even though she was a special empath that could release the Guardian, her days of hiding and running were behind her. It had been a bit over two years since any sort of talk about the Guardian had taken place. She had not seen or heard anything from the order that wanted to unleash the Guardian and she certainly did not think her own husband would be working with the people who wanted to kill the Guardian.

She could not understand what was so wrong in just leaving things alone.

-"Sometimes, we have to let people in and take a chance." Ana finally said her eyes moved to the next row of seats where Nick and Keane were seated.

Evie gave Ana a sad smile.

-"You deserve to be happy too." Evie told her sister.

Ana snorted and shook her head.

-"I don't know, I think I might just be cursed."

Evie let out a small laugh at Ana's melodramatic statement.

-"Nah. I think that you just need to take your own advice and take a chance."

Ana and Evie fell into a comfortable silence but Ana's thoughts were anything but relaxing. They were a whirlwind of doubts and questions. Everything Ana had known the last two years were essentially a lie. All the times Zak had taken secret conferences calls, or stayed up extra late to review evidence, it had not been because of his devotion to his work. It had been some sick and twisted plot to seek revenge. That was what Zak was after. Vengeance against the Guardian and in the process he had lied and slowly but surely burnt all his bridges, including putting Ana's feelings for him in question.

The pilot made his announcement that the plane would soon land in London. The sound of the passengers putting their things away and fastened their seatbelts echoed through the aircraft. Ana adjusted her seat and grabbed her small carryon bag to put her magazine and IPod away but as she did so her eyes landed on Keane who seemed absorbed in a giant dictionary size book he was reading.

With him distracted Ana watched him with some interest. Keane was a handsome guy. He had a strong chin and high cheekbones. He had bright hazel eyes which were much older than his face appeared and his very light brown hair was cut into a floppy mop of hair which was always swept off to the right. Ana had always liked Keane, despite his crudeness and hard exterior he had always been kind to her.

At first she had suspected it was because she looked like his dead wife, but over the years she had grown to see that Keane did in fact like her for who she was now and not who she might have been in another life. He had always been there for her, which was more that she could say for Zak right now.

Ana observed Keane deep in thought with his book. He features were relaxed but his brow was furrowed and pinched as if he had just read something that totally puzzled him.

-"Have you ever been to Keane's house?" Evie asked, taking Ana out of her thoughts.

-"Uhm, no, no I haven't." Ana answered a bit too quickly.

-"He probably lives in a giant castle." Evie laughed.

Unable to help the images of Keane riding a horse in full armor suddenly flashed into Ana's vision. The strong warrior rode hard and fast with confidence. His air of arrogance and bravado alone would have made his enemies shake in their boots. Ana blinked several times as her cheeks turned bright read.

-"I doubt that." She said, dismissing Evie, not in the mood to talk.

But Evie was not so easily deterred and obviously wanted to talk.

-"Have you known Keane long?" Evie asked nonchalantly.

Ana considered that question. She had known Keane for as long as Zak, almost three years, yet it felt much longer.

-"A little while."

Evie nodded as she fasted her seatbelt, letting Ana get back to her thoughts. She had no idea what they were going to do in London and why they could not have done it in America, but truth be told she was glad for the change of scenery and the time away from Zak. Although she wished she could have said goodbye to Zoe. But Keane had been adamant that they needed to get out of the country right away. Both her and Evie were in danger and going back home could have drawn attention to Zoe.

Keane had assured her the little girl was safe. He had moved her to one of his estates in California along with Billy and a team of security. Which put Ana's mind at ease slightly, but she would miss her little girl terribly.

She knew Zoe was safe. She had seen Keane interact with the little girl countless times and he was a natural. Zoe adored Keane and often asked for him at night to put her to bed, he would tell her the most wonderful fairytales in such a way that they just seemed to come alive.

Ana just hoped that he did have a solution to this whole Guardian problem because she was getting tired of running. All Ana wanted was a simple, quiet life. To stay home and raise her little girl. Was that too much to ask for?

**oOo**

Once everyone had their bags from the luggage claim area, they were all once again on their way to find a rental car. All four of them were weary and exhausted. Evie and Nick were not talking and Ana was just too tired to talk period. Keane was getting snappy with people and Ana hoped they would all make it to his home soon, or at least before he ripped anyone's head off.

But as they made their way through the terminal Keane's name echoed through the hall.

-"Keane!" It called again.

Everyone stopped and looked around, confused. The airport terminal was extremely busy and hundreds of people were around. It was impossible to tell which person, let alone which direction the name had come from. The voice echoed again, this time it was rather distinct. It had come from behind them. Ana whipped around to find a tall man rushing towards them.

-"Keane." He said again, his voice held the classic, heavy Boston accent. "Glad I caught you before you went to your place, save me the trip."

Everything after that moment happened in a blink of an eye. Keane spun around with superhuman speed and grabbed the man's arm in a dead gripped. He then spun the man around all the while moving behind him, trapping his arm in a painful arm lock behind his back. Ana moved back, along with Evie, who let out a small screech of surprise. Nick swore loudly as he whirled around to find Keane holding the stranger in an agonizing arm lock.

The man was tall and much like Keane, he appeared wiry and spry on his feet. He had a full head of salt and pepper hair along with a bushy goatee to match.

-"Glad to see the years have no dulled your senses, Keane." The man laughed, despite the excruciating hold he was in.

-"What the bloody hell do you want?" Keane grounded out between his teeth.

-"Is that any way to greet an old friend?" He joked again, but this time in an incredible move, the man somehow spun around, twisting his arm causing it to make a sickly cracking sound.

He wrenched his limp arm from Keane's grasp and crouched down low. With amazing speed, his left leg swept underneath Keane, taking out Keane's legs who then fell and landed on his back. The adept stranger bounced back to his feet and like a jack rabbit he pounced to Keane's side. With his unharmed hand he gripped the old warrior by the throat and started to squeeze. Everything happened in a matter of seconds, giving no one a chance to react until the fight was already over. But that did not deter Ana.

-"Stop! You are going to kill him!" Ana screamed, forgetting she was yelling at an obvious trained assassin of some sort. "Please, whatever you are after, take it and leave him alone!"

Keane let out a disgusting gurgling noise as his hands clawed at the man's tight hold on his throat. The stranger glared a moment longer at Keane and with a hard shove he let go of his windpipe. He stood up and without a glance he pushed his shoulder back into location without a single flinch of pain, he then turned to face Ana.

-"Can't kill what's already dead." He let out a loud laugh.

Keane cough hoarsely, unable to talk. Ana rushed to Keane's side and with care she knelt to make sure he was indeed alright, but with is pride obviously hurt he shrugged away from her and stood up with difficulty. A small crowd had gathered around and was watching intently but seeing that the fighting was over, people started to disperse.

-"Mr. Young?" Evie suddenly ask, her voice shook slightly.

-"You know him?" Nick asked surprise, taking several steps so he was standing between her and the stranger.

-"I – He's the principal of the school ..."

-"The one that wouldn't let us investigate?"

-"What the hell is going on?" Evie asked shocked, her eyes firmly on the man who had been her boss for years.

Ana stood up as Keane kept his death glare on Young.

-"Whatever the hell you want Young, say it and go." Keane barked out.

-"Seriously Keane, for an Englishman you have no manners." He turned to Ana and gave her a bright smile as if nothing had just happened. "I am Eugene Young and I am a ... colleague of Keane."

-"A colleague?" Ana paused for a moment. "Do you mean another warrior?"

-"Well – Not quite the same caliber as Keane, obviously." He gave himself a boastful laugh.

Ana suddenly felt a headache coming on. She pinched the bridge of her nose.

-"I thought Keane was the last one ..."

-"Is that what he told you." Eugene eyes turned to Keane, his face becoming serious. "Tsk, tsk, what are you telling your lady friend?" He was silent for a moment then busted out in laughter again. "I am just teasing. Keane is the last of his type. I am a portal keeper."

This guy was seriously getting on Ana's last nerve but his revelation was as if a whole new door had been opened up to her. A gateway into a world she had always been curious about but Keane refused to talk about.

-"A portal keeper?" With her curiosity piqued Ana took a step closer to Eugene but Keane put a firm hand on her arm, keeping her from getting closer.

-"There are certain places in this world where anyone can travel to the shadow world, if they find the portal that is. There are guys like me keeping curious people away from them. But these locations are usually supernatural hot spots; spirits use them quite often to come and go. Because of that they are active location." Eugene eyes narrowed on Nick. "It's a pain in the ass keeping people like you out."

-"That's why you wouldn't let anyone investigate." Evie interrupted. "You didn't want anyone stumbling on the doorway.

Eugene smiled and pointed at Evie.

-"Bingo."

-"Awesome, glad we cleared that up." Nick sounded annoyed. "That doesn't explain why you two were going all fight club on us."

Eugene shrugged.

-"Old history … This guy has a way of piss off people." Eugene replied with a bored tone.

-"Why are you here, Young?" Keane repeated tightly.

Turning to Keane, Eugene slowly started to walk towards him and Ana.

-"I heard through the grapevine that you are in a bit of some hot water. They say you had both sisters, I didn't believe it. I said, _'there is no way in hell Keane got himself two shadow empaths.'_ But sure enough, you do, and you got the order hot on your tail too."

-"The order is coming?" Both Keane and Ana spoke at the same time.

Eugene nodded.

-"Yeah." For the first time Eugene Young's face turned somber. "Keane you are getting soft, you're letting your feelings cloud your judgment. This is fucking sloppy work. The order is coming for her." He pointed to Ana. "They know about that idiotic government group trying to get the other sister to kill the Guardian and they want Ana before the others get the sister."

Nick swore just as Keane's whole body stiffened. Instinctively he turned to Ana and pulled her closer to him, not that she minded. Knowing that now the order was also coming for them was not comforting at all.

-"So you came to warn us?" Evie asked cautiously.

-"You could say that. I owed Keane one. Now we are even, right?" Eugene glared daggers at Keane.

-"Yeah, we are even." Keane replied firmly.

-"Good." Eugene nodded and simply left as if he hadn't just turned Ana and Evie's world upside down.


	21. Chapter 20 - Ana's choice

_**A/N:**_

_**Yes an Author's note before we begin. This chapter will probably not be what any of you expected. After all this is Nick's story, but I started something with Ana and I really wanted to explore it more. And truth be told, I LOVE writing Ana. I missed it. So a very good friend of mine told me, just write her. **_

_**So I did.  
**_

_**Ana will have this and next chapter dedicated to her. She will of course still be in the rest of the story, but these next two are just her. So please do enjoy :)**_

**Chapter 20**  
**Ana's choice**

Ana walked into the small breakfast nook, the tantalizing smell of cooked bacon and eggs drifted through the tiny apartment making her stomach growl. She didn't remember much of the ride to Keane's place. After the strange altercation with Eugene everyone had seemed in a daze, especially Keane. She could not remember when she had last seen the warrior so shaken up.

Keane had decided against getting a rental and simply got a taxi. Moments after getting settled into the car, Ana had fallen asleep. It was almost like all the strength had been drained from her, she had been exhausted. Someone must have carried her inside to bed, because the next thing she remembered was lying in a strange bed. After stretching and getting her bearings Ana looked at the time on her phone. It read ten a.m. She had been sleeping for at least fourteen hours.

When Ana had finally regained consciousness she had found Evie gathering some clothes for a shower. She and her sister had slept in the giant bed which took up most of the room, while Keane and Nick had slept in the living room.

Now awake and sure she had not been kidnapped she got a better look at the house she was in. Well, house was not the right word for it, it was more like a small sardine box. Ana moved to the small window and gently pushed the curtain to the side; she realized they were in an apartment on the third story. When Keane had said his house, she had assumed it would have been something posh and extravagant. A small castle on a large estate in the country, or a classic English home with a cute thatched roof and stone walls. But instead he had brought them to a tiny, one bedroom apartment in the middle of busy downtown London.

As Ana emerged from the bedroom, Nick was still asleep while Evie was in the bathroom. Ana let her eyes roam the little flat when they soon landed on Keane, who to her surprise was by the stove, cooking. Freshly showered with his hair still damp and comb back, he stood barefoot while flipping the last strips of bacon. Seeing him cooking was rather odd and somehow felt very intimate. Ana had seen Keane the warrior, the caretaker, the bad guy and even the savior, but she had never really imagined him as the housekeeping type.

Despite his relaxed appearance he still wore his stuffy clothing. From his dark trousers to the light colored button up shirt, except without the overcoat. The button up shirt had a few buttons unfasten at the top, and his suspenders hung freely on the side of his trousers. Ana swallowed thickly as she watched him work. His face held an air of concentration as he set the rest of the bacon onto a plate. He shut the stove top off and turned around to find Ana gawking at him.

-"Anastasia, I didn't realize you were awake." He smiled, grabbing a towel from the rack and wiping his hands.

-"You can cook?"

Keane gave a snort as he pulled a chair out and motioned to Ana to sit down.

-"Of course I cook. You don't think I employ an army of chefs simply to cater to me, do you?"

Ana cautiously took a seat at the small round breakfast table. Her stomach growled at the sight of the giant platter of food Keane set in front of her, which included eggs, bacon and assorted fruits.

-"I - I hadn't really thought about it." She quickly said, suddenly feeling stupid for even mentioning something like it.

Keane sat down at the chair next to her with his own heaping plate of food. Thanks to the small state of the apartment as Keane sat down, his knees hit Ana's knees. He mumbled an apology as he settled into his seat. But to Ana's horror, his long legs barely fit under the table. He moved slightly to the side causing his legs to intertwine with hers. Ana tried to ignore the sudden onset of butterflies that fluttered in her stomach. She cast her eyes down and stared at her food.

-"This is ... cozy." She commented, trying to calm the tension that was building between them.

Keane shrugged.

-"It was never meant to house this many people. I simply use this place as a quick stop when I am in the city."

Ana nodded.

-"Oh, I somehow never pictured you as the cozy apartment type."

Keane let out a light laugh.

-"No, I suppose not. Then again you also didn't imagine I cooked." Keane stuffed a forkful of eggs into his mouth as his expression turned pensive. "It makes me wonder how you have seen me all these years." Keeping his eyes on his plate he grabbed a piece of bacon. "I am just a regular man, Anastasia, with the same wants and needs." He paused and Ana felt her cheeks get warm. "I just happen to be immortal, that is all."

Keane looked up and meet Ana's stare with his intense hazel eyes. She knew she should look away, her brain was screaming to not keep studying him but Ana ignored the voice and let her eyes drift from his face to his neck where Eugene had held him in such a tight hold that it would probably have crushed a regular person's windpipe, but not being just anyone, Keane had only sported the mark of his assaulter fingers on his skin last night. Now all traces were gone.

-"Your bruises are gone." She whispered a bit flabbergasted. Ana had always known he would heal faster thanks to his immortality but never having witness it until now was rather startling.

Before she knew what she was doing, Ana reached out and with the lightest of touch her fingers skimmed his neck. The alabaster skin was slightly rough under her touch even though he was freshly shaved. Ana watched Keane's Adam's apple violently bob as he swallowed thickly.

-"Yes ..." Keane replied, his voice low and husky. "My injuries never last long."

Keane kept as still as possible as he studied Ana, until she realized what she doing. With speed she wrenched her hand back. Keane cleared his throat as if sensing her unease. And just like magic, Evie emerged from the bathroom just as Nick let out a groan and slowly sat up. Keane gave Ana a mischievous grin before his attention went back to his food, leaving Ana to wonder if Keane had somehow been keeping Evie and Nick away.

But that was ridiculous right?

**oOo**

Once everyone had eaten their fill and the dishes were done, Keane, Evie, Nick and Ana all moved out to the living room. It was late morning but the room was dark thanks to the typical London weather which was dreary and rainy. Ana and Evie both sat on the loveseat while Nick took a seat in the recliner. Keane stood in front of the coffee table, his arms were crossed and he seemed preoccupied.

-"So now what?" Nick asked, as he stretched his legs in front of him. "Do we wait here until the order and Zak track us down?"

-"Yes."

-"What?" Evie and Ana replied at the same time.

-"What the fuck are you playing at?" Nick jumped to his feet as if he was ready to pounce.

Keane rolled his eyes at Nick's reaction.

-"If we run they will keep following us, no matter where we go, it will just be a matter of time before the order caught us. They have spies everywhere." Keane turned towards the wall behind him which had a large bookshelf with several books that looked like they belonged in the last century. "What we need to do is some research. It is obvious that this new government group is aware of things I am not. I do not like being in the dark about things." Keane pulled out a dusty volume with a leather cover and a very worn spine. "There is one thing that the government group has right ... we need to find a way of closing the doorway between this world and the shadow world, at least the doorway that allowed Ana and Evie to enter it."

-"I thought the only way to do that was with Evie?" Nick still stood by his chair, with his arms crossed.

Keane turned around and lightly tossed his book to Nick, who caught it flawlessly.

-"Yes. That is the obvious way. But Eugene said something last night and I did not realize what it meant until this morning. There is another way, we just have to discover it."

-"How do we do that?" Evie asked her eyes on Nick as he flipped through the book Keane had given him. "We look through old books?"

Keane nodded.

-"This isn't even in English." Nick grumbled with a frustrated frown.

-"How are regular books going to help us?"

-"You have to know in what books to look." Keane said simply. He walked over to Nick and yanked the book from his hands. "I have errands to run, I will be back."

-"Right now?" Nick turned to glare at Keane who rushed into the bedroom.

-"Yes. I need to call on an old friend. It will not take long." Keane spoke loudly from the bedroom but soon came back out sporting his usual long Victorian blazer. He finished doing the last button and slipped on his eleven holes black work boots. "You lot, stay here." Keane headed for the door but stopped short and back-tracked to Ana. He bent down and whispered close to her ear. "Pick a place, any place in London you want to visit and we will go."

Ana could feel Keane's soft breath tickle her cheek which made her grow flush.

-"What do you mean?" She asked, confused.

-"Something fun, or boring, which ever. Just pick something to go see."

-"Shouldn't we be doing research or something?" Nick asked from behind Keane.

Ana nodded agreeing with him.

-"I think Nick is right." Ana started. "We really should start –."

-"We will." Keane interrupted Ana. "But it's important to have fun and relax as well and you haven't had fun in a long time. You will work better, trust me." Keane straightened back up and gave Ana a smirk. "But those two are not invited, so they can find something else to do."

With that he turned around and left the apartment leaving everyone to gape at him. Ana wasn't sure why she was surprise by him. After all she should be used to the unexpected with Keane, but sometimes he just puzzled her beyond belief, it also was not helping that she was feeling extremely conflicted.

Keane was sweet and kind. He was protecting her and giving her that funny feeling in the pit of her stomach where it felt like it might leap out of her throat at any minute. He made her heart skip and stop at the oddest moment. Keane made her feel wanted and useful. Something she had not felt in a long time.

-"I fucking hate that guy." Nick mumbled as he flopped back down into the large recliner.

Everyone was quiet for several minutes until Evie stood and walked to the bookcase, she scanned the volumes with interest.

-"If Eugene told some secret message to Keane, I wonder if that means that Eugene might know how to close the doorway." She said pensively.

-"I don't know ... but I don't see how old books are going to help us." Nick kept his eyes firmly on Evie.

-"Books are full of information; you'd know that if you would read one, once in a while." Evie snapped.

Nick made a face behind her back.

-"I meant, if that stuff was in books, wouldn't the whole damn world know about this shit?"

-"Not necessarily." Ana spoke up. Books were her area of expertise after all. "If we are talking about really old books, most of them are not even in English or at least not the English that we use anymore. They could have just been dismissed as old legends and things like that."

-"That's true." Evie pulled out a book and casually flipped through the thin pages. "I mean seriously Ana and I are the things of fairy tales ... who knows what could be written somewhere about us and someone just filed under _not important_."

-"Yeah maybe ... I just think we should be doing something else."

-"Like what?" Evie's eyes glared at Nick. "Should we barricade ourselves with a crate full of guns and just wait?"

Nick stood and took a step towards Evie.

-"No, I just think that we could move somewhere more remote, that is not in downtown London, then we get a new plan."

Evie slammed the book shut and put a hand on her hip.

-"Well I think this is a good plan, so we are staying here to do some research. I don't see what it will hurt; a little knowledge could help us out."

-"Of course you'd take Keane side in all this." Nick spat back, obviously upset.

Ana wondered if she should excuse herself from the strange argument that had popped up out of nowhere.

-"What the hell does that mean?"

-"It just means you two are pretty tight, you got the hots for him or something?"

Evie let out a frustrated groan.

-"Of course not!" She took a step towards Nick; the two were almost nose to nose. "I think he is okay. He is trying to help us and we can trust him, that's it."

-"Trust him? How can you even say that?" Nick roared. "He has been trying to break up Ana and Zak for years, he's messed with all of us, and he manipulates every situation so the outcome works for him. How is that trust worthy?" Nick's face was bright red in anger.

Ana stiffened at the mention of Zak's name.

-"Well maybe I think Keane is a great guy for my sister. She can sure as hell do better than that guy she married!" Evie shouted back.

Unable and unwilling to listen to any more of it, Ana quickly stood and rushed towards the door, dashing out of the small apartment.

**oOo**

Ana didn't wander far. London was a bit more intimidating then she remembered it and she would hate to get lost, so she simply sat on one of the stone stairs outside. The rain had stopped but the sky was still grey and gloomy. Although it felt warm. Well compared to the snowy weather from Chicago anywhere would feel warmer.

With her elbows on her lap she held her head with sorrow, the thought of Zak and his betrayal returning to her. It hurt ... she couldn't put into words the pain she was feeling. She had never been stabbed in the back like that. Not by someone who was supposed to love her forever. He had not only been keeping secrets from her, he had been plotting murder! Who did that?

-"Ana?" Nick called softly from the doorway. Not bothering to turn around she sat as still as a statue. She had expected to be followed, but not by Nick. He sat down next to her. "I'm sorry." He said in a small voice.

-"It's okay." She replied, keeping her eyes on the road in front of her.

-"No, I was a dick in there. I shouldn't have said anything about you and Zak."

Ana nodded, moving her head slightly to look at Nick. His expression was sad and somber. She hadn't been the only one who had been hurt by Zak's action.

-"Why do you think he did it?" She asked.

Nick was quiet for a long moment. Ana looked around the small neighborhood road they were on. It was nothing like in America. The road was narrow with cars parked along it, but the most peculiar thing was the houses and apartments. Every single one looked alike on the road. All an exact copy of each other with little differences, but it was still somehow charming.

-"I wish I knew ..." Nick finally replied. "I have asked myself that a million times. Why would he willingly fuck up his marriage, his friendships ... his entire life for this?" Nick exhaled loudly. "All I can think of is fear."

-"Fear?" Ana replied surprised.

-"Yeah ... being scared makes you do stupid shit."

Ana let out a small humorless laugh.

-"Like pushing away people who care about you?"

Nick glanced at Ana and let out a snort.

-"Something like that."

Ana nodded.

-"Evie likes you. I can tell. Just be patient with her." She offered.

Nick shrugged. They both remained in a comfortable silence until a familiar form was spotted at the end of sidewalk. The cocky walk, his tall, slim frame. Keane was on his way back and it had only taken him a short time as he had promised. Despite herself, Ana felt her heart rate pick her and her breathing sped up.

She also felt Nick stiffened next to her, as if he picked up the changes in her body. He looked in the direction that Ana was staring at. Seconds later he stood, but moved down to eye level with Ana.

-"Ana, you been like a sister to me, since we met. You are sweet, and adorable." He put a friendly hand on her lap. "But you are also pretty naive sometimes ... Don't let Keane fool you. He is still that asshole that did all that shit to you and Zak."

Ana frowned.

-"Keane never did anything to me ... he just ... he had feelings for me, but he accepted the fact that I was with Zak. That's all."

Nick sighed.

-"Well ... you are a grown woman, and Zak was an ass, hell I don't know if you should forgive him, I'm not telling you too. I don't know if I can. But don't do anything you will regret later, okay?"

Ana nodded. Nick gave her knee a squeeze and placed a kiss on the top of her head before hurrying back inside leaving Ana to wrestle with the feelings she had buried long ago for Keane.


	22. Chapter 21 - Ana's Downfall

**Chapter 21****  
**Ana's Downfall****

After Keane had returned from his mysterious errand he rallied everyone out of his tiny flat and piled the group all in a taxi that drove several blocks away. After so many twists and turns Ana was positive that if she got lost alone she would never find her way back to the apartment.

The large Austin FX4 was quiet. The strange cab reminded Ana on a short limousine with two bench seats facing each other. Evie and Nick seemed to be not talking again while Keane was busy staring down at his mobile phone, but in no time at all the taxi came to an abrupt stop. Keane looked up and immediately hopped out of the car, holding the door open for Ana to get out.

She stepped out and hurried to the sidewalk. Cars honked angrily at the taxi but the driver didn't seem too concerned about it. Evie and Nick followed along with Keane who joined them moments later.

Unfortunately the sidewalk was no safer than the street. It was busy. Wherever Keane had taken them it was obvious that this was where all the action happened. Peopled rushed by, while others strolled by a bit more casually.

The sidewalk was bustling with foot traffic and the fact that Ana and everyone else were simply standing as still as poles brought them several annoyed glares.

-"I just need to get something." Keane spoke loudly over the noise of the road. He turned to Ana. "Then you and I will go on our outing." His eyes slid to Nick. "You and Evelyn might enjoy Hyde Park, which is a short distance from here." Keane quickly turned and made his way to the side door of one of the shops but before entering he turned around. "That was a hint that you both should be gone by the time I come back out."

-"Obviously." Nick barked back at Keane.

Ana watched Keane knock on the door and enter right away, slamming the steel door firmly behind him. She wondered what exactly he was up too. First he had left out of the blue to see someone and now he was making a mysterious stop to get something. It was all rather suspicious but as much as Ana wanted to ask about it, she didn't. She knew he would simply blow her off and tell her not to worry. Keane would let her in on his plan when he is ready, until then she would have to just sit tight.

Sighing, Ana turned towards Evie and gave her sister a small smile, but Evie was not fooled by Ana's brave face.

-"Will you be okay by yourself?" Evie asked.

-"Of course I will." Ana forced a smile.

-"We can hang around if you want." Nick quickly said, looking up from his phone.

-"No its alright, you both go enjoy the park, I heard its quite lovely."

Evie nodded and gave her sister a brief hug.

-"I'm sorry about earlier, by the way. I didn't mean to upset you." She whispered close to her ear.

-"You didn't, Evie, stop worrying about me so much ..." Ana paused. "But you should lighten up on Nick; he really is a nice guy."

Evie sighed and pulled back from the hug.

-"I know, but he just drives me insane sometimes." Evie smiled as she looked back at Nick.

-"I can't find this damn park." He mumbled to his phone.

Evie and Ana snickered at Nick's frustration. He angrily shook the phone as if that would help find the location better but when that had no results his whole face pinched in determination in finding the park. Evie shook her head at his antics and turned back towards Ana. She gave her a serious look.

-"I did mean what I said earlier, Ana. Keane isn't a bad guy. You should go into this with an open mind and an open heart. He is a decent guy... sometimes. But you seem to bring out the best of him and that can't be bad right? A happy Keane means a happy world."

Ana nodded and gave her sister an uncertain smile; she couldn't understand why everyone was so obsessed with her to pick a side. Right now all she wanted was to live in this very moment and not worry about Zak or Keane or the damn order. She couldn't think about those things because if she did she would fall apart and that was not an option.

She understood that Zak had meant to protect her but he had lied about so many things, and that was not something she could look past so easily. She was unsure she could look past his actions.

Ana watched Evie walk to Nick and grab the phone from his hand. Evie mumbled something inaudible while she found the right location on the map. The couple started to bicker as Evie pointed to the phone. Ana felt a chuckle bubble out of her at the sight of the two as they started to argue again about the best way to get to the park. She kept her eyes on them as they both started their slow walk down the busy sidewalk and couldn't help but feel a stab of sympathy for poor Nick. He had his work cut out for him.

Once they had disappeared into the crowd, Ana turned and looked around her. Wherever she was it was a very busy street, with shops and restaurants lining the street. People walked by, some in a rush while others were on a leisurely stroll, taking in all the sights. From the small Chinese restaurant to the posh clothing store, the atmosphere was one that was easy to get lost in.

While Ana scanned the area her eyes landed on a small store on the other side of the road. People walked by it but no one seemed to look at it twice, everyone simply rushed by as if it wasn't allowed to linger near it. The old sign marking the store was faded and barely readable. The large window in front of the shop was all blacked out so no one could see inside, but there was nothing to see in the display window. No pretty mannequins or stickers marking a sale inside. All that decorated the window was a simple neon sign.

Tarot and palm reading.

Intrigued and practically bewitched, Ana found herself crossing the road and stepping in the shop without another thought.

The inside was much like the outside. Unwelcoming and dark. The air was thick with what smelled like myrrh and musk. The aroma was extremely overpowering and nauseating. The vast room was lacking of any light except for an eerie dim glow of a hanging lamp with a cloth like red shade above a table, which was the only furniture in the room.

Ana wondered if the place was even open.

-"Hello?" She called. Her voice wavered slightly but she steeled herself and took several more steps into the store.

-"Yes?" A woman replied.

Ana twisted her head in surprise. A tall woman with dark hair has emerged from one of the back rooms.

-"Are you open?" Ana found herself asking.

-"You want a reading?" The woman asked, her voice held a thick English accent.

-"Yes." Ana replied automatically.

The woman nodded and motioned for Ana to sit at the table. As she approached the old piece of furniture, Ana saw the table had a deck of cards on it along with several stones with odd symbols carved into them.

Ana felt a giant lump build in the back of her throat. Why was she even here? She didn't believe in this stuff, tarot readers were simply good at telling what people wanted to hear. They sold whatever the customer was buying, even if it was full of nonsense.

Ana took a seat on the rickety old chair as doubt and unease swirled in her mind. She could not explain any of this but she felt the strongest feeling that she needed to be here. It was as if an invisible force had taken control and brought her here and as scared as she felt right now, she did not want to leave.

The woman sat down in front of Ana. With her long dark hair and mysterious eyes, she was the cliché gypsy woman, Ana thought, trying to distract her mind who was screaming in panic. Without warning the woman grabbed Ana's hand.

-"Hmmm ..." She kneaded Ana's hand as if it was a loaf of dough but as quick as she had grabbed it, she dropped it. "I do tarot reading for you, shadow empath."

Ana suddenly felt her heart jump into her throat.

-"What?" She croaked out.

-"I know who you are and I know the dangers that follow you right now. The fate of the world seems to rest in your very unsure hands."

The woman grabbed the deck of cards in front of her and started to shuffle. She then handed it to Ana to shuffle and once she was satisfied Ana handed them back. The woman wasted no time and dealt some cards in front of her on the worn table. Ana watched carefully as she dealt one card in the middle and four around it, she then set another card on top of the middle one. The woman stared at them for a long moment as if she was deciding what to say.

-"You have interesting card." She finally said.

-"Why, what does it say?" Ana found herself leaning forward towards the table. She stared at the cards with different images but the one that caught her attention was the one of a handsome man, standing tall and proud, almost regal like. The sight of the card made Ana's heart beat harder.

-"It's complicated." She paused and looked at Ana with sympathy. "It's more complicated than I realized."

Ana frowned, getting more and more anxious.

-"Does it say anything about Zak, about my husband? Will we ... still be together?" Ana regretted the words even before they came out of her mouth. She knew right away she had said too much and the woman would definitely tell her what she wanted to hear now.

-"I don't know what will happen." She shook her dark head. "There's a shroud around the future because your choice isn't yet made."

-"What?" Ana cried.

The woman chuckled, and pointed to the middle card.

-"This is you in the center of everything, surrounded by love and family." She moved her finger to one of the cards and tapped it once with her long fingernail; she then moved to another card and tapped it. "These are the problem."

-"What, the trickster and the emperor?"

She nodded.

-"They're mirror images; they're often depicted as brothers or men who are the closes to us... One dark, one light."

-"So one is Zak and one is ... Keane?" Ana found herself saying, totally absorbed in the reading.

-"Mm-hmm, and, according to the cards, they divide your heart."

Ana tried to shake her head no, but couldn't quite bring herself too, she knew this woman spoke the truth.

-"So which one is the dark one?" Ana whispered.

The woman shrugged as she stared at the cards.

-"The trickster could be either one of these men. He could be dark masquerading as light. That's what he does... He confuses you."

-"What does that even mean?" Ana sighed exasperated.

-"According to the cards," she waved her hand over all the cards she had dealt. "You love them both but you have a choice to make Anastasia Campbell, Shadow Empath. One man is your soulmate and the other man's your destroyer. Whoever you choose will decide your fate."

**oOo**

Ana left the tarot reading shop in a bit of a daze. The woman, who had seemed a bit shady to begin with, had told her one man in her life was her soulmate and the other was going to destroy her. Those were not words someone could just ignore, even if she was a skeptic to begin with. The woman had known she was a shadow empath ... she had to be legit right? It's not like she walked around with a giant _"I am a Shadow Empath"_ logo on her shirt, but then again the strange woman could have been part of the order and had been sent to put doubt in her mind.

But that didn't make much sense either, why would the order care who she was in love with?

There were just too many questions and too many variables. Ana had no idea who she could trust. Zak was her husband and he had been lying to her for almost two years. Was he the tricksters? He sure was a good candidate for it ... Although Keane had not always been the most honest person either. Why did things have to be so complicated?

Ana returned to the spot Keane had left her before he was back and could even miss her. As he emerged from the building he gave Ana a bright smile. She noticed he had a mischievous glimmer in his eye which made Ana slightly nervous.

-"Are you ready?" He asked approaching her with his Cheshire cat grin.

Ana nodded.

-"What are you smiling about?" She asked, feeling uneasy. Keane didn't say a word and walked right past her, stopping a few feet away at a motorcycle. He turned around and gave Ana a knowing smile, which gave her butterflies in her stomach; he wanted her to get on the bike. "You don't expect me to get on that do you?"

-"Come on now, don't tell me your sense of adventure is gone." Keane smirked as he pulled out a helmet from the motorcycle's side bag. He past it over to Ana and dug out a second one for himself.

Ana carefully took the helmet as if it could bite her. She watched Keane flawlessly hop on the motorbike and start it up with a one kick. It loudly roared to life. A few people walking by gave them annoyed glanced because of the deafening sound. Ana swallowed thickly. Was this really such a good idea? Motorcycles have always terrified her and this one even more so. It was big and massive. The motorcycle emblem read, Triumph Bonneville Scrambler. She had no idea if that was good or bad, but as Keane revved the high-powered engine it made a loud rumbling sound that shook her insides and made Ana take a step back.

-"I don't know if this is such a good idea." She said, shaking her head.

-"Anastasia." Keane purred her name. "You went head to head with the Guardian, a giant undead creature able to destroy the world. You want to tell me you are afraid of a tiny little motorbike?" He smiled widely, beckoning her over. "It's not like one ride will condemn your soul."

Keane extended his hand out.

Ana hesitated. She knew she should say no but his strange choice of words seem to somehow beckon* her to go forward. Before she could talk herself out of it, Ana slipped her hand into his. His big warm hand wrapped tightly around hers. Ana felt goosebumps as his long elegant fingers tightened around her hand. She felt a tingling warmth spread through her body as he pulled her to the back of the bike.

She secured the helmet on her head and sank against his back and instinctively wrapping her arms around his lean waist. A thrill of pleasure shot through her. Keane revved the engine one last time and without warning took off with such force that Ana had to cling even tighter to Keane.

The bike sped off into traffic. Keane expertly dashed in between cars and avoided pedestrians. At the first corner he took it so fast that the tires violently squealed. Ana held on tightly silently hoping that the tarot reader had been wrong ... because right now it sure felt like Keane was riding her to her doom.

**oOo**

Keane and Ana had arrived at the museum in less than fifteen minutes, which was rather impressive for the amount of traffic they had encountered. But Ana was unsure if it was a viable way of travel for her. Her legs felt like jelly and her nerves were frayed beyond belief. She had never been so terrified in her life and that was saying a lot, she had been strapped to a bomb after all and the motorcycle was the scarier of the two. So when they arrived to their destination, Ana felt rather apprehensive about the whole outing.

-"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Ana asked, while Keane handed the woman at the gate several dollars.

-"I think this is a perfect idea." He extended his arm for Ana to go ahead of him.

Ana brushed by but as soon as she did she turned around to face Keane.

-"But the order ... they could be here."

Keane's eyebrow quirked and his lips curled into a small smile.

-"At the Natural History Museum?"

-"You said there were spies everywhere." Ana replied back, slightly annoyed.

-"Yes I supposed I did." Keane took Ana's hand and tugged her gently further into the museum. "But trust me; I will feel them before they can harm us."

Ana felt her heart skip a beat and practically jump out of her chest as Keane's warm hand enveloped around hers. He pulled her towards one of the many corridors; specifically the one marked "Blue Zone". It was a Saturday afternoon and the museum was extremely busy with happy families and couples all out wanting to get a peek at the displays. Keane and Ana soon found themselves in a sea of people, all anxiously waiting to enter the dinosaur exhibit.

The crowd was loud and the building felt stuffy giving Ana a feeling of claustrophobia. She quickly distracted herself with what Keane had just said.

-"What did you mean by_you will feel them?_" Ana asked while they waiting their turn to enter.

-"It's like a sixth sense." He shrugged as if it was something normal to possess. "I can feel danger coming my way and I have a natural instinct to protect you."

-"Because I am a shadow empath?"

-"Partly." Keane replied, not elaborating anymore.

Slowly the line started moving again and they were granted passage into the exhibit, which was quite amazing, but Ana couldn't bring herself to concentrate very much on the wondrous creatures that had lived millions of years ago. Her thoughts were a jumbled of thoughts. The tarot cards danced in her mind with the images of the tricksters and the emperor. One was meant to deceive her and potential destroy her ... but who was he?

The dinosaur exhibit was all a bit of a blur to Ana and once they were done in the big room the line seemed to automatically gravitate towards the reptile section. The crowd once again slowed down to a crawl as a line formed to enter the next room, giving Ana more time to have her mind plagued by hundreds of questions. Keeping her eyes on the man who still held onto her hand in a tight grip she wondered how someone close to her would want to destroy her.

Even though Zak had been lying, he wouldn't intentionally hurt her would he? He couldn't be the one out to destroy her, but as she stood here holding on to Keane's hand she couldn't fathom that he was the trickster either. Neither men wanted to harm her...

-"Keane?" Ana finally asked, unable to keep quiet any longer.

-"Mmmmm?" He replied, keeping his eyes on the strange reptile display in front of them.

Ana took a deep breath.

-"Are tarot readings accurate?"

Not bothering to look at her, he shrugged.

-"It depends; the reading is as accurate as the person giving it I suppose." He paused for a moment, and then turned to face her. "Why are you asking?"

Ana looked away, towards one of the giant reptile skeleton.

-"No reason ... I was just wondering."

But Keane was not so easily fooled. His eyes narrowed and Ana felt herself shrink slightly at his sharp hazel eyes examining her. The line in front of them had moved but Keane didn't care. He turned to fully face Ana.

-"Anastasia ... why are you asking, you have never asked about anything like this and you always have a purpose to your questions."

A few people from the line behind them made sounds of annoyance but Keane ignored them.

-"I - I just was wondering, that's all, I have no reason!" Ana's voice grew high-pitched. "Why can't I just ask questions without having an ulterior motive to it?"

-"Oiy mate, will you and your girlfriend move?" Someone called from the back of the line.

Keane's moved to the side and glared at the man that had called out. Ana didn't miss the small fire that lit up in his eyes.

-"Go around." Keane grounded out with an edge to his voice that made a few people shrink back.

Not waiting for anyone to go around, Keane gripped Ana's hand tighter and pulled her out of the line and out of the room. Ana tried hard to keep up simply out of fear that if she didn't keep up Keane wouldn't stop and he would just drag her behind him. Keane pushed and shoved his way through the crowd, causing several outcries and disgruntled comments at his rudeness. Ana gave a few of the patrons a sympathizing look and mumbled some apologies when she could.

Keane did not stop until he arrived at a door which was clearly marked _'Personal only'_. Not caring he opened the door and tugged Ana inside. He then slammed it door shut and as if he had been in the small closet a hundred times before he flipped on the light switch. When he did, Ana saw his expression was serious. She knew she couldn't talk her way out of this one.

-"Talk, _now."_ He ordered, his tone was brutal and sharp.

-"I just was wondering." She cried, trying hard to hide her secret. "I didn't know it would be such a big deal." Keane crossed his arms over his chest; his expression said he was not buying any of it. Exasperated Ana let out a long drawn out sigh. "I got a stupid tarot reading okay; it's not a big deal."

-"What? When?"

Ana knew at this point it was pointless to lie and the fact that Keane looked like he was ready to murder her was probably a good time to tell the truth if she wanted to avoid any more of his wrath.

-"When you went inside that building earlier I saw a small occult type store. I don't know why I went in there, I just ... I felt like I should." Ana lowered her eyes and stood a still as a board.

Keane's face contorted in anger.

-"Do you realize how dangerous that was?" He shouted all traces of his usual control gone. "We have the order and this agency trying to get to us and you thought it would be a good time to wander off?"

-"Nothing happened!" She shouted back.

Keane opened his mouth to say something, but didn't. He pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a loud whoosh sound as he exhaled loudly. His temper seemed to slowly simmer down so Ana took the opportunity to tell him everything the tarot reader had told her. Once she was done, she held her breath, waiting for Keane to have another freak out.

-"You believe that Zak or I is this trickster?" Keane asked his face expressionless.

-"Well who else would it be? That woman said that I lov—" But Ana stopped. She couldn't bring myself to tell Keane that the woman had said she loved them both ... She couldn't admit to him the dirty truth that she had been holding back from even herself.

-"She said what?" He asked a bit more calmly then he looked.

-"Nothing ... just stuff, I don't remember!" Ana waved her hand around, suddenly feeling claustrophobic. "Can we get out of here?"

But Keane didn't seem to hear her.

-"What did she said, Anastasia? That you...?"

Keane kept pushing, trying to pry the truth from her, but Ana was not talking and she had enough.

-"Would you stop it?" She snapped at him letting the fury she felt rising consume her.

-"Stop what?" He glowered back, slowly inching towards her.

Instinctively Ana started to walk backwards desperately trying to keep the distance between them.

-"Stop trying to get me admit that I - I have feelings for you."

Just as she finished her sentence, her back hit the door to the closet and before she could even react his solid, lean body pressed against hers, making Ana breath catch in her throat. Keane stared down at her, his gaze heated with such intensity. He gently looped a strand of hair behind her ear, but the innocent action had simply been a ploy. He slinked his hand to her neck and gave it a firm pull just as he leaned in and placed a soft trail of warm kisses on her neck. He started at her jaw and stopped when his lips reached her ear.

Ana was breathing hard, her body heated and her mind confused. His hot breath spoke softly into her ear, sending chills down her spine.

-"I will stop trying to get you to admit your feelings for me, Anastasia when you stop denying them." His words sent a flood of emotions through her. Emotions that she had long ago buried when she had chosen Zak ... _The man that had been lying to her,_a small voice quipped in her head. Ana stared at Keane's serious face. "I love you Anastasia and I have loved you since before I knew you ..."

That was all the words it took. Ana wrapped her arms around Keane's neck and closed the remaining distance between them, smashing his lips into hers. Keane let out a low growl as his tongue invaded her mouth in a passion filled kiss.

Keane's fingers were gently stroking her neck. His kiss slowly turned a bit less rush as his lips were softly moving against hers. He planned to lure her in with tenderness and it was working. His swollen bottom lip pressed gingerly against her. Ana leaned into him, and with another low growl he deepened the kiss. The sound was so low and exotic; it reverberated through her bones, making her want to melt at his feet.

Her heart pounded. Her hands smoothed up to his shoulders, then around his neck. Silky strands of his hair brushed against his fingers as she tangled her hands into his hair. The feeling sent a sparking electrical spur across her skin.

-"Anastasia, my love." He whispered as he dusted her face with kisses.

She moaned and pressed herself against him. The hard ridge in his trousers was unmistakable. Heat sizzled through her and a desperate desire seized her.

-"Keane." Ana found herself moaning.

He growled low in his throat once again, and then planted his mouth on hers. The gentleness was gone, replaced by a hunger that made her squirm. She gasped against his mouth when he cupped her breast and squeezed. Breathing heavy, Ana pushed at Keane's chest; he pulled his hand away and stepped back.

-"Anastasia ... " He groaned. "Forgive me." His eyes were wild and passion filled.

-"What am I doing?" Ana mumbled getting her bearings. Keane shook his head as he gasped for air. He dragged a hand through his hair. "We have to stop." Ana panted, her skin still tingling from where he had touched her. "I can't – We can't ...!" Ana found the door handle behind her and without wasting a moment she rushed out of the closet.

Ana ran blindly as tears clouded her vision. She had kissed Keane ... and for a moment, a very bliss filled, wonderful moment, she had really enjoyed it. She had even for the briefest of moments wished that she had picked Keane. But as Keane had tightened his hold on her, as his hands slowly had touched her body she had felt herself sinking and missing a part of herself. A part that only Zak had captured long ago and would always have.

She cared, no she more than just cared, she loved Keane but Zak was the one that held her heart and she had to tell him that, she needed to see Zak and tell him that it didn't matter if he was the trickster in her life. She rather have a cursed life then not share another moment without him. Ana rushed through the crowd. She gave a glance behind her to make sure Keane was not chasing her, but as she did so, she came crashing into someone.

Ana tumbled to the ground.

-"Sorry." She mumbled slightly dazed.

She quickly wiped her eyes and blinked several times to get the picture into focus and figure out where she was but before she could she felt someone grab onto her arm and drag her to her feet. At first thinking it was Keane she didn't fight back and was getting ready to tell him that she needed to get home, at the very least back to his place to call Zak.

Ana turned her head to speak to Keane but she suddenly felt a giant pair of arms wrapped around her waist in a too-tight bear hug. The scent of cigarettes enveloped her and she knew right away that this was not Keane or anyone she knew. Ana tried to look at the stranger behind her but couldn't. He picked her up as if she weighted nothing. Ana started to kick.

-"Let go!" She shouted, her eyes scanning the crowd, desperate to see Keane.

A big clammy hand pushed itself into her mouth and nose before she could scream again and a hard hit came to the back of her neck as darkness overtook all her senses.


	23. Chapter 22 - Revelations

**Chapter 22  
Revelations**

Nick and I slowly walked down the long path. The weather had been surprisingly good and I was starting to wonder why they said London was always so rainy. The company had also been wonderful. Nick had been quite agreeable and we had not fought once since we arrived at the park.

The park was filled with joggers and people just out for a nice afternoon stroll. The lawns near the fountains and river had several people lounging and soaking up some of the sun's ray before nightfall would come. Nick and I had seen quite a few lovely landmarks and we had both taken more than our fair share of goofy selfies.

Neither one of us mentioned anything about secret government agencies nor being hunted by a crazy cult-like order. We were just two regular people, out for the afternoon, doing the touristy thing.

-"Funny isn't it?" Nick chuckled as we both stopped near the edge of a large pond.

-"What is?" I looked out to the water, noticing several ducks rushing over to a woman throwing bread crumbs.

-"This place. It's one of the largest metropolitan in the world, it's _the_ place people think of when you think of class and things like that, yet here in this park, you'd never know it."

-"It is pretty peaceful. Even Central Park isn't this quiet."

Nick nodded in agreement and soon fell silent again. Gazing out that the water I couldn't help but wonder why I had been fighting the attraction to Nick so hard. He was the first decent guy I had met in ... well ever. Here he was in London, thousands of miles away from his home for me. To protect me. If that was not commitment then I didn't know what was. But I could not bring myself to be comfortable with it. I could not just give in to the feelings I felt for this man.

He was perfect. He was handsome, strong, had great hair and an even better personality. It was as if he had been constructed just for me. I felt a desperate attraction to him and we just seemed to click together. But my heart was holding me back; it was keeping me from taking that final step. I was just too afraid.

-"Evie ..." As if sensing my thoughts, Nick turned towards me and took my hand in his. "We've got to talk."

I felt my heart suddenly kick up to a wild, erratic beat. I knew this was coming, I knew Nick would want to have this talk, but now that the moment was here, I was not sure I was ready for it. Despite my anxious interior, I steeled my nerves and turned my gaze to Nick which made my heart clench even more. He was so handsome ... so perfect and I was so damaged.

-"Okay, let's talk." I found myself articulating. I guess I was going with the _'I have no idea what you could want to talk about'_ act.

Nick pulled me away from the shoreline and back towards the well-worn path we had taken. We walked together for a short time, simply holding hands, which would normally have been very soothing but Nick's silence had me worried as to what he could possibly want to say.

-"I know you don't want to talk about us." Nick finally said. "I also know that you don't want whatever is happening between us to happen." Nick paused as if waiting for me to deny what he said, but I couldn't. He was right. "I just wish you would tell me why you are so afraid." Nick stopped walking and stepped in front of me so I was forced to stop and look at him.

Refusing to meet his stare, I kept my eyes on his chest, which was not any better.

-"I just – I don't think us together is a good idea." I finally said.

-"Why?" He replied, not seeming angry, simply confused, but I didn't answer. I couldn't. I didn't want to let him in, then he would fight even harder and all I wanted him to do was give up. "Evie, I really think you owe me an explanation." Nick slipped his hand below my chin and tilted it up, forcing me to look at him, to stare into his sad, pleading eyes, begging me for an answer. "I just want to understand." He whispered, making my heart break into a million pieces.

-"I can't ... There is too much at stake."

Nick furrowed his brow.

-"I already know what is at stake, Evie and I am still here." He replied passionately.

I shook my head no.

-"That is not what I mean ..." I sighed sadly. "I can't let you get close to me because ... I can't risk you ... or me getting hurt." My thoughts wandered to Nick's daughter, the small girl who waited for her father to return home. I couldn't be the one who took that away from her. If something happened to Nick because of me ... "You have a little girl at home, Nick. You shouldn't be here. You should be at home, with her. Not here, trying to get yourself killed." Finished bitterly, the thoughts of having chased away my own father came rushing back to me. I knew what it was like to not have a father around and I did not want to be responsible for another little girl not having what she deserved. "I know what it's like to not have a dad, Nick. I don't want that for your daughter."

I tried to wrench myself away from Nick's grasp but his hand came down and held me firmly in place.

-"Is that what this is all about?" I nodded sadly, once again looking away from Nick. "Oh, Evie..." Nick sighed and wrapped his arms around me in a tight hug.

As I felt his strong arms envelop me, I felt myself unravel. My head sank against his chest just as his chin gently set on the top of my head. A giant, heart wrenching sob escaped from me. My arms immediately wrapped around his lean waist and I hugged him as tightly as I possibly could. Everything around me was crumbling. Even me, I was not the same anymore and it was all changing too quickly.

-"I feel like it's all slipping away from me, Nick." I wept. "I don't even know who I am anymore."

I felt Nick's chest heave out as he exhaled loudly.

-"I know things are really weird right now, but you are still that same Evie I met in the school. You are still that hot-headed, stubborn girl who thinks she knows better than everyone." I felt a chuckle bubble out of me. "You are still that beautiful, amazing girl; just with some new ... talents and I know very well what I am getting myself into."

I moved back slightly to look up at Nick's face. I shivered as I felt Nick's hand glide along the side of my neck. My pulse quickened and suddenly the whole atmosphere around us changed.

-"I am scared I might lose you." I found myself whispering to him.

My whole body relaxed against his, the warmth of his closeness started to make my dizzy. Nick's fingertips drifted with stunning delicacy over my throat, behind my ear, pushing into my hair.

-"I am a big boy, Evie. I want to be here, with you."

Goosebumps rose wherever his breath touched.

-"If something happens to you –" I tried to finish the sentence but my brain simply decided to stop working.

Nick playful mouth traced a slow path above my brow.

-"I can't image being anywhere else then here with you." A smile curled the corners of his lips as he added huskily, "danger included." Feeling the stiffness of my neck muscles, he coaxed the tension out of them, kneading lightly. "I want you Evie, all of you, empath and woman, I just want you."

Before I could answer, he covered my mouth with his. I felt a jolt of heat, my blood igniting, and I couldn't withhold my response any more than I could stop my own heart. I reached up to his hair, the beautiful dark hair curled slightly over my fingers. I let my fingers travel down his neck and followed the taut satin skin down to the edge of his shirt collar.

His breath roughened as he deepened the kiss, his tongue penetrating in demand. The late afternoon sun sent shards of light through the early leafs of the tall silver birch tree, outlining the silhouette of Nick's head, touching my own skin with an unearthly glow. Supporting me with one hand, he cradled my face with the other, his breath hot and scented with sweet peppermint as it fell against my mouth.

A curt voice shot through my haze of pleasure.

-"Evelyn."

It was Keane. He stood rigidly a few feet away, but as Nick and I separate with haste I knew right away something was wrong.

-"What happened?" I gasped with the mixture of emotions flooding through me.

-"Someone took Anastasia."

**oOo**

-"What do you mean by someone just took Ana?!" Nick roared for the hundred times.

-"Exactly as I told you before, we were at the museum and I ... lost sight of her for a moment." Keane paused, giving me the impression there was more to this story then he was telling us. "By the time I realized she was gone it was too late, all I saw was her being loaded into a big white van." Keane finished furiously.

-"We have to find her." Nick growled.

Keane had found Nick and I in the park and after telling us Ana was missing we had all rushed back to his apartment, where he had told us what happened, but I still couldn't believe it. Ana was missing and none of us even had a clue as to where to start looking.

-"We have to tell Zak." Nick quietly said which cause Keane's to get even more upset.

His usual composed self was slowly unraveling and that almost frightened me more than Ana missing. I knew Keane was a very powerful man and the fact that he was losing control was not something anyone needed right now. I had to find a way to keep him together or god knew what he would do. I took on my best cool and calm tone.

-"Keane," I gently started, "we will find my sister, but first you have to try and remember, was there anything about the or the people carrying Ana that could help us find out where they took her?"

Keane's face was bright red and his eyes were wild. I knew he was listening but I wasn't sure he understood the question so I repeated it. This time he gave a slight sign of recognition.

-"I did not see the people, they were too far and the van was a simple white van with tainted windows. That will not help us find her." He finished, his voice once again changing into a panicked tone.

-"Okay ... well, let's think about this." I walked to Keane's side and put my hand on his arm. He jumped at the touch as if he was a startled animal. "No one just take people without having a reason right?"

-"Of course they have a reason; they want her to let the Guardian out." Nick stated.

I turned to glare at him.

-"Not helping." I mumbled to Nick but I knew he had a point, but I didn't want Keane to think about that now. I turned back towards him. "Can Ana let the Guardian out by herself?" I asked cautiously.

Keane shook his head as he loosened the top two buttons on his shirt.

-"No, well yes, she could, but she has no idea how and I don't think she has enough control of her powers. They will need an anchor for her to use, because she has to draw so much power."

-"An anchor?" I furrowed my brow confused.

Keane suddenly brushed by me and rushed to his bookcase. He started to pull books out left and right. He would examine one and not finding what he wanted he would simply drop it to the ground and grabbed another.

-"Yes an anchor, you know like what Nick is to you." Keane replied distracted.

What the hell was he talking about?

-"What?" I wished Keane would just stop and answer my questions.

-"Nick is your anchor; you draw power from him when you need some more. Every strong empath and magical creature has an anchor. I noticed he was yours when you brought that bloke back in Chicago." Keane through another three books over his shoulder with a frustrated sigh.

-"Couldn't they force Ana to get a new anchor?" Nick asked, concerned.

-"No. You only get one. In Ana's case she has two." Keane let out a growl as he through another book.

Deciding we were better off leaving Keane alone for a moment I thought back to Chicago. We had been in that house when I had brought Cole back. Keane had sat with me and held my hands and nothing had happened. Then Nick had taken his place and poof, I had somehow channeled my way into the ghost of Cole's past and brought him back. I had done all that thanks to Nick?

As if sensing my shock, Nick moved next to me and took my hand, giving it a squeeze. So it would seem that Nick was supposed to be here after all.

-"I told you we needed each other." Nick whispered with a certain tone of satisfaction.

I wanted to tell him it meant nothing, but I never got the chance. Keane had lost it. After pulling a tenth book from the shelf he let out a loud frustrated growl and threw the novel against the wall where it left a big gaping hole.

-"It's not here!" He screamed, making me shrink away.

Without warning he gripped the bookcase and with one hard swoop he yanked it down, making it crash onto the hardwood floor. Nick pulled me back and stepped in front of me. His tall frame shadowed me behind him.

-"Dude, chill out. What are you looking for?" Nick asked with a warning edge to his voice.

Keane was breathing hard, his shoulders heaving up and down at an alarming pace. His head was lowered and his hair floppy hair was disheveled. He looked every bit the dangerous warrior that he was. He opened his mouth to reply to Nick but before he could the shrill ring of a phone echoed through the room. Keane dug into his pocket and pulled out his mobile.

-"What?" He spat.

Whoever was on the other end cause all of Keane's color to suddenly drain from his face. He quickly pulled the phone from his ear and pressed the speaker option on the phone.

-"Well, are you missing something, Keane?" The voice asked from the other end.

-"Where is she?" Keane barked, not letting the person on the end know how sick he was probably feeling.

-"It's a funny thing isn't it?" The man asked. "You just can't seem to keep Ana can you? First you lose her to Zak and now you just plainly lost her." The voice laughed.

-"What do you want?"

-"Alright, okay, down to business. You are no fun." The man sighed. "Meet me tonight at the pier and I will discuss what I want. And come alone." The line went dead.

* * *

-"Are you sure this is good idea, Justin?" Eloise asked, as she chewed on her lower lip with worry.

-"I have everyone exactly where I want them. We are so close to our goal now." Justin slipped on his handgun shoulder holster. Once it was securely in place he slipped in both his forty caliber sig sauer handguns into place. "After tonight I have a good feeling things will fall into place."

Eloise watched him carefully. Justin had been a field journalist for several years until he was approached by their boss, much like she had been. They all had special skills and the very secret agency they all now worked for had recruited them with the hopes of getting rid of this threat the world was clueless about.

Eloise couldn't help but wonder what had happened to Justin to make him so biter and cut-throat. She remembered him well from his segments on the morning news in Miami when she had been stationed there for a brief time. He had always seemed friendly and laidback, like someone you wanted to confide in. Now, he was nothing like that. He was harder, and much darker. Even his whole body language had changed. He emitted leadership and strength. He was not someone you wanted to upset either. Then again they had all changed since joining this group. Keeping secrets did that to people. It changed them, and not for the better.

-"Zak is going to freak out when he finds out we took Ana." Eloise said softly as she watched Justin slip a leather jacket over his concealed weapons. She felt guilty and with good reason. Zak had never been one to open up, he kept it all very short and professional but one thing was clear, he loved his wife and he was only helping them to get rid of the threat that hounded Ana.

On Justin orders, she and two other members of the team had grabbed Ana after they had followed them to the museum. It had not been easy. The warrior, Keane, had been on guard, but they had gotten lucky and after they had both disappeared for a while, Ana had reappeared, alone, so they had taken their chance and grabbed Ana. But now Eloise felt immense guilt for the poor woman and her family. First her husband had been lying to her and now she was about to lose her sister. It seemed all rather cruel.

-"It doesn't matter; we got all the information we needed from him. We are moving to the last phase as soon as we get Evie." Justin shrugged. "Now come on, we have to go meet the old warrior so he can hand me what I want."

**oOo**

Night had fallen and Eloise had strict instruction to surveille the area and keep her eyes on Justin, and if any funny business happened between him and Keane, she was to take him out, no questions asked. Eloise had been recruited straight out of the military after her third tour of Afghanistan. She had been in Special Forces and had completed several secret missions; most of them needed classified clearing to simply be mentioned.

Her talent? She never missed her target and right now Keane's head was in the view of her telescope. She knew a shot to the head wouldn't kill the warrior but it would incapacitate him long enough for Justin to get out of there. But she was having doubts.

Eloise was questioning the entire mission all together, which was not something she had ever done. When she first joined, it was a cause she believed in. She really did feel the creature who lived in another world needed to be eradicated, but as of late Justin's methods had been reckless.

The latest, kidnapping Ana to get the girl's sister in trade.

-"I have the target in sight." Justin whispered. His voiced carried to Eloise's earpiece.

Eloise adjusted her night vision and watched Keane approach Justin.

-"Nice of you to come." Justin spoke smoothly to Keane.

-"Where is Anastasia?" Keane growled.

Eloise found herself shivering at his tone. _What it must be like to have someone so dedicated to you_, she wondered.

-"She is safe, for now."

-"If you harm a single hair on her head, I will find you and make your death a very slow and painful one."

Justin laughed, but Eloise heard the slightly tremble of his voice, Justin was scared and with good reason.

-"I have a deal for you, Keane. You want Ana back right?" Keane didn't reply so Justin kept talking. "I will give you back Ana, unharmed, as long as you give me something I want."

-"Which is?" Keane crossed his arms over his chest.

-"I want her sister, Evie. Give me Evelyn and you get Ana back."

Keane was silent and Eloise wondered if this was where the old warrior freaked out and took off Justin's head.

-"No." He finally said. Keane's face looked pained as he replied. "I will find her without helping you. I cannot allow you to destroy the portal."

Justin chuckled.

-"Okay, fair enough. You are one tough negotiator." He casually reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Justin pressed a few keys and sent a text message. "I can tell you are a man of opportunity, and this is one of a life time." Justin gave Keane a confident smile. "I know you have a sort of obsession with Ana. You love her but she picked Zak over you."

Eloise flinched at the change in Keane's face, it was very subtle but the flash of fury was there and Justin did not miss it. "That has to piss you off huh. Watching the girl you loved for so long with another guy, a total douche too, you know she deserves better. She needs someone like you."

Keane's arms drop his side. His hands fisted tightly.

-"Where are you going with this?" Keane barked.

-"I will get rid of Zak and give you Ana. You can even make a big show out of saving her. She will never know your role in this, just that you saved her life. You come in, guns blazing and save the lovely Ana. No one will know what happened to Zak until later on, and no one will suspect you. Ana will be safe with you. You get what you want, and I get what I want."

Keane's eyes narrowed on Justin. He took several steps, closing the distance between them. Eloise tightened her grip of her gun, never taking her eye off Keane.

-"You dispose of Zak and Ana will not know a thing?" Keane asked quietly. Justin nodded. Keane's jaw ticked as he stared at Justin. "Okay. I will deliver Evelyn to you by morning." Keane grounded out tightly. He extended his hand out for Justin to shake.

Justin grabbed it without hesitation and gave it a firm shake. He let out a low chuckle.

-"Pleasure doing business with you, warrior."


	24. Chapter 23 - Betrayals

**Chapter 23****  
**Betrayals****

I woke up from a dead sleep. I couldn't explain what had woken me, but one minute I had been peacefully sleeping in Nick's arms and the next I was sitting straight up in bed. My heart was pounding and I felt sick to my stomach. I didn't know what was wrong, but something definitely felt off and my mind and body were screaming at me to do something.

I have had this feeling before and nothing ever good ever came from it. It was a bit like my sixth sense. Some might call it intuition but this felt even stronger than that, it was as if I knew something bad was coming and I had to react to it before it even happened. Sometimes this feeling happened after a vision I would have had, but I couldn't recall if I had one of those prediction dreams.

I scratched my head and tried to remember what I had done before going to bed.

Nick and I had gone to bed together. Sort of. I had fallen asleep on the couch after trying to wait up for Keane to return from his meeting with the mysterious person who wanted to see him. We had tried to convince him to take us with him but he assured us that nothing could harm him and we would simply be a liability. It was better if we stayed behind.

Keane had been right. There was no telling what he was walking into and he had a better chance at surviving if we were not there. After all what did Nick or I even know about secret meetings and rescuing people? I was a teacher and he was a ghost hunter … we were both way out of our league.

Keane had compromised though. He had turned on the tracking to his phone so we were able to see where he was in case he did not return, but we were told to not do anything until sunrise.

After Keane had left, Nick and I had tried to watch some television but neither one of us could concentrate on what was on. We each kept glancing at our phones watching his little dot on the map move from his London flat to the piers, where he had remained for quite some time.

One hour turned to two, which turned into three and no sign of Keane. When we checked the tracking application on our phones it told us that there was no connection. Keane had turned off his mobile.

-"I am sure he is fine." Nick said, looking at his phone for the hundred time.

-"What if he isn't? What are we going to do?" I asked nervously.

-"I don't know ... we will figure something out, but we won't have too, because trust me, Keane has more lives than a herd of cats, he is fine." Nick said firmly.

-"A herd of cats?" I quirked my eyebrow.

-"There could be such a thing ..." Nick shrugged with a secret grin playing on his lips.

We had spent the next hour waiting for some signs of life from Keane, but at some point I had fallen asleep and only briefly woke up when Nick had carried me to the bedroom and gently deposited me on the bed. I recall him crawling in bed and I immediately cuddled up to him as if we had done this a hundred times before. Moments later I had sunk into a blissful sleep, but now there was nothing happy or enchanted about this moment.

Clutching my chest I tried hard to calm my racing heart with no avail. My eyes traveled the dark room as the feelings of suddenly being trapped overwhelmed me. I was suffocating. I dramatically gasped for breath. _I needed to get out of here_. Swinging my legs to the side I scrambled off the bed trying to stand.

-"Evie? What's wrong?" Nick's groggy voice asked from behind me.

Feeling the panic and terror slipping deeper into my veins I ignored him. I had to get the hell out of here. _Fresh air._ I needed fresh air. I quickly rushed to the door and bolted out.

-"Evie?" Nick shouted, sitting up in bed.

I did not make it far. The unfamiliar lay out of the apartment had me confused. I rushed in the wrong direction and by the time I realized it Nick had gotten out of bed and firmly grabbed me by the arm.

-"Evie, what is going on?" Nick asked urgently.

He set a steady hand on each of my upper arm and held me firmly in place. The room was dark but I could see the concern in his eyes.

-"I need to get out of here." I gasped.

-"Why? Did you see something in a dream?" He asked wisely.

I shook my head.

-"No, I just – I need to get out of here." I repeated. "I have this feeling." I waved my trembling hands through the air as I stared at Nick, when it suddenly dawned on me. I had to get both Nick and I out of here. My eyes desperately pleading I gripped his waist. "We have to get out of here, Nick, _now_."

Seeing the fear in my expression, Nick nodded and loosened his grip on my arms.

-"Okay, okay ..." He set his arm around my shoulder and began to escort me to the door. "We will go outside, get some fresh air."

As we both made our way to the door a loud crash resonated near me. I turned towards it only to realize that it had been the sound of something hitting Nick hard in the head. He suddenly crumbled to the ground.

-"Nick!" I screeched falling to my knees next to him, but quickly realizing that he had been attacked I looked around the room searching for his assailant.

I didn't have to look for long. The tall shadowed frame was one I could recognize anywhere. He stood tall, gazing down at Nick's limp body.

-"What the hell, Keane?" I cried, unsure if I should do something to protect myself.

The whole situation felt ... off. I slowly stood to my feet, avoiding all sudden movements as if I was facing a rabid animal that I didn't want to spook. As I got to eye level with Keane, I noticed the torment in his electric hazel gaze which had narrowed on me. This crippling fear sunk into the pit of my stomach, I had to get out of here but I couldn't just leave Nick behind.

-"I'm sorry, Evelyn." Keane finally said, his voice was rough and scratchy.

-"What is going on? What happened at the pier Keane?" I tried to keep cool as I tried to casually look around for a weapon to protect myself.

Keane sighed and shook his head with sorrow.

-"I'm so sorry." He mumbled again, except this time he started to walk towards me.

I quickly backed away.

-"Please, Keane, what is going on?" My voice trembled.

There was nothing I could do the mask the horror in my voice as my back hit the wall with a hard thump. I was trapped. Keane continued his slow stalking towards me, but as he got closer I was able to see his features clearer. His mop of hair was somehow messier then usual, his face was strained and he somehow looked older even though that wasn't possible. As I kept my frightened gaze on him to my surprise I noticed his eyes were rimmed red from having shed tears.

-"I have to do this, Evelyn. I am sorry." He spoke so quietly I almost had not heard him.

He stopped inches away from me.

-"Tell me what happened, did something happened to Ana?" I asked, trying very hard to keep myself from crumbling into pieces from the horrible fear I was feeling.

Keane bowed his head and let out a long breath which reeked of brandy. He had been drinking, and quite heavily from the smell of it.

-"I came to an agreement to get Anastasia back." Keane whispered, refusing to look at me.

I felt my stomach sink. I knew it wasn't a good deal, at least not for me, or he would not be here giving me the worst feeling in the world.

-"Which is ...?" I closed my eyes. I knew the answer ... I knew why he was here.

Keane gently cupped my face with both his large hands. He tilted my head up to look at him and I knew I was in serious trouble. The look in his eyes said it all. He was a desperate man, and desperation made people dangerous.

-"You know why I'm here." He murmured, his sickly alcohol breath fanning over my face. "I don't want too ..." His hands clamped down tighter around my face, giving me the worse feeling that he would crush my skull. "But I love her ... I _need_ her." He cried as one of his hands traveled over my mouth and nose.

I violently shook my head, trying to loosen his grip.

-"Please, we can find ano—" but I was cut off by his hand firmly covering my mouth. I looked at Keane, desperate as my supply of oxygen was cut off.

Tears clouded Keane's bright hazel eyes.

-"I have spent the night trying to find another way, but what they are willing to give me ..." He shook his head, making the tears run down his cheeks.

My own eyes clouded up with tears as the lack of air was starting to affect me. My hands moved up and with desperation I began to claw at Keane's hand covering my mouth and nose, but to no avail. My strength and vision were going fast. My legs were unable to carry my weight anymore crumbled but anticipating this, Keane use his other hand to support my body.

-"I am sorry Evelyn." Keane spoke close to my ear. His voice was fuzzy has I felt myself slipping away. "Please forgive me."

I wanted to scream and tell him no way in hell, but darkness came and took over.

**oOo**

I rolled to my side as I slowly regained consciousness. My head was throbbing and my throat felt like I had swallowed a fireball. Keane had suffocated me. The realization of what had happened made me sit up with speed, which did not help my headache at all.

-"Whoa, take it easy." A female voice came from somewhere in the darkness.

I cracked my eyes open but it did little good; the room was so dark it made me question if my eyes really were open.

-"Wher—" My voice cracked and I flinched at the pain of using it. "Where am I?" I whispered.

-"You are safe; let me turn on a light, watch your eyes."

Moments later the room was lit up with a warm glow, revealing where I had been brought. A small grimy room which made me wish the woman would just turn the light back off. It took several seconds for my eyes to adjust but there was no hiding the disgusting place I had been brought too.

_Wherever this was._

It was a room the size of a small closet, only enough room for the old mattress which I was laying on. It almost looked like it had been floating in the river for a very long time. It smelled even worst … The room itself was painted a sickly pea green which was peeling away to reveal an disgusting yellow color underneath.

My eyes finally landed on the woman who sat near the door in a small wooden chair. To my horror I knew exactly who she was.

-"You." I croaked out.

She had been the woman that had been in Chicago, the one that had explained that she was with that government group that wanted me. Eloise. She reached down and grabbed a bottle of water from under her chair and extended her arm, offering me the drink.

-"Here, this should help." She gave me a small smile as if she was trying to strike up a new friendship.

I wanted to scorn at the water and tell her to shove it in her ass. But with my throat burning and my stomach churning it looked like liquid gold to me. Without another thought I stretched and wrenched it from her grasped. I gulped it thirstily and downed the entire bottle within seconds.

-"Whoa, girl, take it easy."

I ignored Eloise and tried to get a grasp of my situation. I was in some awful disgusting room; probably an abandoned house of some sort in London or in the outskirts and no one knew where I was. Well no one except for that backstabbing warrior.

Nick and I were betrayed by Keane, but I couldn't dwell on that right now, I had to figure my own way out of this mess.

Keane had said something about an agreement to get Ana back which meant he had been exchanging me for her; at least I was assuming so.

I tried to ignore the stab of pain that my heart felt at that thought. I knew Keane loved Ana, but I never thought he would so easily trade me for her without another thought.

_I thought we were friends. _

He was probably on his way to some tropical paradise right now with my sister while I sat here ... waiting for what? To be sacrificed ... and poor Nick. He would be frantic when he realizes that I was gone, and this time I knew he could not save me. He had no idea where I was … no one did.

-"Are you feeling better?" Eloise asked, bringing me out of my bleak thoughts.

I turned to my captor and couldn't help but wonder how she had gotten involved in such a terrible project. She looked so ... normal; although what did a crazy maniac look like? It's not as if there was a stereotype for them, but it would make things much easier if we knew who the crazy ones were simply by how they dressed.

No, Eloise was the exact opposite of the insane person mold I had in my head. She was the girl-next-door poster child. Her flaxen blonde hair was long and flowing in generous curls. She had piercing deep blue eyes and her features were very angelic like, she was dainty, but emitted an aura of strength that told me she was more powerful then she looked.

-"I'd be better if you let me go home." I countered the pretty blonde.

Eloise's small lips turned into a frown.

-"I can't ... I am really sorry."

Her face made a look of distaste that almost made me believe that she actually was sorry and I knew at that moment I had found my one slim chance out of a here.

A small glimmer of hope in a hopeless situation.

Eloise felt some sympathy for me. I had to find a way to utilize that to get myself out of here or at the very least to phone for some help. If I did not do this I knew I would die. The problem was I had never been a very manipulative person and a terrible liar, but I had to try something.

-"Is there anything else I can get you?" Eloise asked.

I opened my mouth to reply, to tell her, yes I wanted more water. My throat was killing me and maybe if she felt sorry enough for me I could strike up that friendship she seemed to want from me. But before I could reply the door near Eloise burst open and a man I had never seen before stood in its frame.

-"Good, she is awake." His sharp eyes locked onto mine.

-"She just woke up." Eloise answered.

-"Go get something to eat. I got some questions for her." He moved to the side, indicating that Eloise had to leave. She slowly stood but glanced at me with worry.

-"I am not really hungry." She replied hesitantly.

-"It was not a suggestion." He barked, making me shrink into the stinky mattress.

She gave a quick nodded and rushed out of the room, but not before quietly giving him a last desperate plea of advice.

-"Go easy on her, Justin." She whispered as she walked by him.

It was quite obvious that this man was in charge and no one would question him about anything, and that thought terrified me.

Justin shrugged at Eloise's concerned and slammed the door behind her. I sat a bit straighter and tried to steel myself. I watched Justin grabbed the small chair and flip it around so the back of the chair was facing me, he straddled it and sat down, propping his arms on the back of the chair.

Now that he was sitting I got a better look at him and he was a very handsome guy. From his dirty blond hair which was cut in a typical military fashion to his square, powerful jaw. He emitted dominance and it was intimidating.

-"So, Evie," he paused and gave me lopsided grin that probably had made many woman swoon. "Let's talk about you and this power of yours."

-"What about it?" I answered, proud that I did not sound as scared as I felt.

-"Well ... I have some questions." He looked down at his fingernails with a bored expression. "And depending on how you answer, it will set the tone for our new ... relationship."

I felt myself swallow thickly.

-"If I answer your questions, can I go home?"

Justin shrugged again and stood to his feet making the chair scrape loudly.

-"I think you should come with me." He stretched out his arm for me to take as if he were a gallant gentleman.

I stared at him skeptic at his motives for taking me somewhere else. I suddenly wished Eloise would come back. She was much easier to read, and less alarming to be around.

-"I won't tell you anything if you try to hurt me." I warned with brave words that I did not feel at all.

Justin gasped and actually looked offended.

-"I would never put my hands on woman. That is just not right."

I stared at him for a moment and wondered if I really should believe him. Nothing about him said that I could, but then again what choice did I have? I am sure if I refused he would simply drag me and make this much more painful then it needed to be. He was only trying to make me think I had a choice, as a way to make myself at ease with him. I would not fall for it. I would not let my guard down with this man.

I ignored his outstretched hand and stood up on my own and carefully made my way out of the room. Justin joined me seconds later and led the way down the long corridor.

I had no idea where I was. The long hallway had no windows and was simply illuminated by a few bare light bulbs along the way. The corridor was in no better shape than the room I had been kept in. The walls that had once been white were yellowed and the linoleum floor was cracked and peeling everywhere.

We passed several doors and Justin came to a stop in front of a large metal door. This door scared me. I could not understand why but there was something about it that made it look ominous and dark. I knew in my gut I would not like what I would find on the other side. Justin nodded at me.

-"Go ahead." He motioned to the door wanting me to open it.

With a trembling hand I reached out and grasped the cool metal door handle and gave it a quick twist. The door unlatched and with a little push it swung widely revealing to my horror just has I feared, something I never wanted to see. The very thing that I had been terrified of since I had been involved in this mess.

-"Nick!" I screeched in a horrified tone.

Justin grabbed my arm with bruising strength and dragged me into the room. The door slammed loudly behind us just as Justin shoved me hard to the ground near Nick. I fell to my hands and knees, flinching at the pain of my knees scraping the cement ground. My eyes locked onto Nick's legs. Slowly I lifted my eyes.

I swallowed hard at the sight that greeted me. Nick was slumped in a metal chair. He had no shirt on and wore the same black jeans he had been at the apartment. His usual perfect hair was disheveled and hung limply forward. His face was covered in a fine sheet of sweat and grim. His head hung low and to my absolute horror he was covered in bruises and angry marks across his bare chest and back.

He appeared to be unconscious but as if sensing my present he stirred and with difficulty he picked up head. My eyes meet his lack-luster hazel eyes.

-"Evie ..." He whispered harshly. His voice was barely audible, as if he had been screaming for hours.. "Are you okay?" He asked, not seeming concerned that he was the one that had been obviously beaten.

-"Nick ... What did they do to you?" I reached out to touch his skin only to be violently pulled back.

-"Tsk, Tsk. We do not touch." Justin warned. "Not until you tell me what I want to know."

I glared at him with hatred.

-"What do you want?" I grounded out.

-"Answer my questions, honestly, and your boyfriend here will go free. But if you lie, he gets this."

Without further warning, Justin pulled out a sickly looking whip. The end was frayed into several pieces and each piece was fitting with tiny little spikes. Justin expertly threw his arm back and the whip lifted into the air. He flicked his wrist and the whip came back down and with a loud crack it made contact with the back of Nick's neck. Nick let out a loud grunt but to my surprise he didn't scream.

Not thinking about the predicament I was in, I made a dash to Nick's side, to protect him, but I was grabbed from the back. I turned my head around to see who had latched onto me. Eloise held onto my arm, her face was unreadable but her eyes held a bewildered glimmer. She gave a small shake of her head, telling me she had no choice. I ignored her and turned to Justin.

-"You said you weren't going to hurt anyone!" I screamed, wanting nothing more than to rush to Nick's side.

-"No no no, I said I wouldn't lay a finger on you, and I am not. I am finding a more effective way of making you talk." Justin lowered his whip. "I've already questioned him and he just refuses to play the game, and frankly he will be no use to me if he is dead." His steel colored eyes turned to me and his perfect lips turned into a cruel smile. "Let's began, shall we?"


	25. Chapter 24 - Dance with the Devil

**Chapter 24  
Dance with the Devil**

Sadness.  
Despair.  
Hopeless.

Those were all things that I felt. I couldn't wrap my brain around the fact that this was actually happening; I was not having a bad dream or a vision. This was my reality.

A month ago I was having a nice quiet evening in my apartment, I was probably reading or grading papers ... I had an ordinary life. I went to work every day, had friends to see on the weekend and was just that, an average girl living her life.

I was content. I did not go looking for trouble. I had left that part of me in my past after Keane had left me the first time. I had everything that I had stridden for, or so I had assumed.

Now, here I was a month later with the man of my dreams who pushed me beyond my limits of frustration but somehow kept me sane. He had cracked a hole in that wall I had built around my heart and he was slowly seeping his way inside. I never thought it possible that I would find someone like Nick. He was my everything and I was going to lose him, all because I had selfishly kept him. I should have sent him away like I had originally planned, but I had not and now he was paying the price of my weakness, he was trapped in a chair beaten and bloodied.

All because of me.

Justin turned his cold eyes to Nick and with a trained hand he flicked his wrist and the long leather whip flew through the air. With the sickly crack the barbed end made contact with Nick's flesh, cutting deeply into the skin. The brutal weapon left a horrible imprint as Justin pulled it back out. Nick let out an animal like grunt. His eyes shut tightly and his entire face contorted into agony as sweat poured from his forehead.

I turned away and closed my eyes, unable to watch anymore of it, but the darkness brought little relief. The images of the whip digging itself into Nick replayed as fresh blood seeped from his wound. My stomach violently churned.

Nick might have been the one beaten but I was the one that was broken. These people wanted me to kill this Guardian creature to save the world. They were hurting someone I cared about so I would help them, as assurance ... But were their motives actually so horrible? They simply wanted to save the world. How could I argue with that? How was my life more valuable than the billions on this planet?

Whatever was happening now, it was my fault and I had the power to fix it. I could correct everything. I could make sure Nick was sent home, safely, and no one else would have to get harmed because of me.

Eloise held onto my arm with a tight grip but as if she sense the change in me, she fingers loosened a small fraction, allowing me to straightened out and stand a bit taller. I opened my eyes and set my gaze on Justin, refusing to look at Nick. I knew he would never forgive me for this.

-"I will tell you everything you want to know." I found myself articulating. Justin smiled and lowered his whip but did not set it aside. "If you let _him_ go." I finished boldly.

Justin let out a loud whoop of laughter.

-"You have a lot balls." Forgetting Nick he made his way towards me and I felt myself shrink back into Eloise, as if she would protect me. Justin strolled over with grace and confidence, he stopped inches from me. "I don't know who you think you are ..." I lowered my eyes and stared at the whip he clutched in his hand, suddenly wishing I had kept my mouth shut. He was going to beat me, I just knew it. "I am the one holding the weapon and you tell me ..." Justin raised his voice making me flinched. "No not tell me, you _demand_ that I release him, just because you agreed to answer some questions."

I wasn't sure if he wanted me to answer that so I kept quiet. Justin bent forward, looming over me.

-"I need leverage ... and your promises mean shit to me." He growled, his hot breath fanned over my face.

I wanted to kick and scream. I didn't want him so close to me, crowding me, but I couldn't back away, I couldn't show how afraid I truly was. I knew if I did, Nick or I would pay dearly, but I had to do something. I finally looked up, my gaze going past Justin's giant frame. I spotted Nick, his head hung low but with effort he had picked it up a bit. His eyes were glassy from the haze of pain he was in. His face was bruised and his lovely skin held deep purple marks and welts. I felt a sudden rise of bile in my throat at the deep cuts in his arms and back.

I knew what I had to do.

Seeming to understand my thought process, Nick desperately searched my eyes. His gaze was pleading as he slowly shook his head no. But I ignored him and turned my hate filled stare back to Justin.

-"Let Nick go and I will open the portal and go in without a fight. I will kill the Guardian."

-"Evie, No!" Nick bellowed.

I steeled myself and ignored Nick's outburst. Justin stare turned curious.

-"You will go in there and not put up a fight, if I let this waste of space go?"

I nodded without flinching all the while Nick started to violently shake his chair, rocking back and forth, trying to get himself free from the bindings he was attached too.

-"Don't fucking do this, Evie!" Nick screamed again.

Justin straighten up and seemed to be considering my offer but just as I had suspected he took very little time to give me his answer.

-"Okay. Deal. I'll let him go." Justin's raised his voice and out of the darkness two men appeared. "Knock him out and take him to the park and leave him there." Justin ordered. He turned around and headed for the door without a glance back at me. "Get her ready, Eloise, I will be back, I have another bit of business to take care of." He called over his shoulder, still clutching his whip.

As soon as the door shut behind Justin, the two men immediately marched for Nick, who did not appear like he was planning on cooperating with his captors.

-"Evie, what the fuck are you doing?" Nick barked out.

Not able to look at him I kept my eyes on the ground.

-"I am saving you, Nick."

I felt Eloise pull me towards the door.

-"You are not fucking saving me; you are making a huge mistake!" Nick screamed as he brutally pulled at his hands, trying to free them. The rope cut deeper into his skin but he still tugged and pulled with fury. I stared in horror as one of the men grabbed Nick from behind. Unfazed by the man, Nick still wrestled and squirmed, fighting with everything that was in him. "Please Evie, I love you." He choked out.

The words hung in the air as my breath caught in my throat. The plea and sorrow in his voice made my whole body shiver. Finally daring to glance up our eyes met only for a brief moment, but the emotion was not lost. I knew he meant those words, I didn't doubt them for one moment. His eyes begged me to reconsider, stop this foolishness, but if anything, it reaffirmed that what I was doing was the right thing. I was protecting this man, the only man who had loved me. I just hoped that he would someday forgive me.

I wished I had more time ... but our fleeting moment was over all too soon as the second burly man raised his hand and gave Nick a hard whack to the back of the head, knocking him out cold.

-"I love you too, Nick." I whispered, turning my back on him before I could change my mind.

* * *

Ana let out a small moan as she made an attempt to roll to her side. Her whole body felt stiff and sore thanks to being in the same position for several hours.

-"Shhh, take it easy, luv." The heavenly disembodied voice murmured softly.

A large, cool hand suddenly brushed at her forehead, sweeping away the hair that stuck to her clammy brow. The touch felt like bliss against her much too hot skin. Ana tried to lean into the caress but before she could her eyes popped open. She let out a gasp and sat up with speed. The memories of being kidnapped came rushing back to her all at the same time she realized the voice that had spoken to her was close and familiar.

-"Keane?" Ana's voice trembled with terror. "Where are we? Someone took me –"

-"Anastasia, it's alright, you are safe." Keane gently cooed over her.

At Keane's soothing words, Ana took a look around and noticed she was in a room, a very small bedroom to be exact. The room was dark and the shades to the tiny window were drawn but what Ana did not understand was why the room felt like it was moving. Ana gripped her forehead.

-"Where are we?" She asked again. "Why am I so dizzy ... the room is moving ..." Ana scanned the room trying to calm her racing heart and make sense of the situation but everything still felt like it had a gentle sway. Ana's eyes landed on Keane, who sat in the most uncomfortable looking chair she had ever seen.

-"We are somewhere between Carlisle and Hamilton." Keane shrugged as if those details were not all that important. "And the room is moving because we are on a train."

-"Wait, what?" Ana slowly articulated, holding back a dry heave. The motion of the room along with the awful taste in her mouth was doing nothing good for her churning stomach. Her mouth felt like she had been sucking on a box of cotton balls for the last ten hours.

Sensing her discomfort, Keane stood and took two small steps to the mini fridge. He grabbed a cool bottle of water and returned to Ana. He sat back in his chair and handed her the bottle of liquid gold.

-"You were drugged, pretty heavily too." He grated out angrily. "Those bloody idiots who captured you gave you too much. You have been unconscious for the last thirty-six hours."

Ana gulped down the water thirstily and finished the bottle in a matter of seconds. It took her several minutes to process what Keane had told her.

-"I have been sleeping for almost two days?"

Keane nodded.

-"I was beginning to worry. I thought I was going to need a doctor." He sighed out relieved that she was awake.

Ana set down the now empty bottle on the small table next to her bed.

-"The last thing I remember was a man, grabbing me from behind." She spoke softly trying to remember. "I tried to fight them off ..." Her tone started to climb in panic again.

-"It's alright luv." Keane moved to the bed and with a certain familiarity he stretched his long body next to Ana's. "I shouldn't have let you run off." His voice cracked slightly under the sudden change of his emotions.

The entire room's atmospheres changed as a heavy sorrow suddenly engulfed Ana. She tried hard to block the intense emotion but before she knew it, Ana found herself rolling to her side and as if she had done so hundreds of time before, she laid her head down on Keane's hard chest. She slipped an arm over his stomach and found herself pressing her body against his, seeking some sort of comfort for the strange oncoming of sadness she felt.

Keane held his breath for a long moment, but as Ana snuggled her cheek closer into his chest Keane immediately wrapped his arms around her, holding her closer to him, but it did little to quiet the awful feeling of misery in the room. Ana's heart ached. Unable to process it she held tighter onto Keane.

-"Keane ..." She whispered, unsure on what else to say, unable to understand why she even felt this way.

Ana felt him place a chaste kiss to the top of her head before he spoke.

-"Anastasia ..." His voice rumbled in her ear. "I must leave you at the next station."

Just like that the spell that had been cast on her was broken. Ana sat upright and turned to look at Keane. His face was creased with worry.

-"What?" She nearly shouted realizing she had no idea where she even was. "Keane, what is going on, where are we?"

With a deep sigh, Keane sat up and swung his legs to the side of the bed, but made no move to stand.

-"You were kidnapped by the American government agency, but I got you back." Keane's tone was gruff. "When I procured you back I immediately put us on this train that is on its way to Scotland. You will be safe there. Someone will pick you up at the station and take you to my home. No one will think of looking for you there."

Ana stared at Keane's back. He wore his typical Victorian attire, minus the long jacket. His tight, off-white button shirt contoured his perfect shoulders and back muscles which appeared tight and knotted.

She knew he was not telling her something, but that was Keane's way, keep her in the dark as long as possible and deny the truth, but he and Zak had been training her for too long. She was good at detecting when someone lied to her. But Keane never lied ... he spoke in cryptic messages that left her with more questions than answers.

Ana slipped her hand on his shoulder. The cool materiel of the shirt glided across her hand.

-"I know when you are hiding something from me."

Keane's shoulders stiffen at her words, but Ana did not let that deter her. She gently slipped her hand on his other shoulder and slowly raised herself to her knees. She scooted herself forward until her chest was pressed against his back. Ana felt Keane sharply inhale a breath as her arms circled his neck.

Ana's thoughts were running a mile a minute. She knew she should back away and just try and get Keane to admit what he was planning but something inside her told her to let it go. That this was not the time to push for the information that he would not share anyway. There was something very different about Keane; he was not the same man she had known all these years. He was somber and mournful and something told her that he needed this moment. Just this one time where he wasn't the strong one saving her. She was.

There was no way for her to explain how she felt; she only knew she had to act.

Ana closed her eyes for a short instance and inhaled his masculine scent. The odor brought back so many memories. The first time she met him in her father's old house, to when he had whisked her away in the shadow world. His intentions had always been the best towards her. Ana lowered her head. Her entire body trembled but she braced herself as she buried her face in the crook of his neck.

Keane sucked in a sharp breath.

-"Ana ... what are you doing?" He whispered harshly.

Not responding she pressed her lips to his neck and let them linger for a moment. Ana kissed his neck with care and slowly pulled away, enough to let Keane twist his head to the side. To her surprise she was not met with the expression she had expected. Keane's usual composed and hard hazel eyes were nowhere in sight, instead he stared at her with pain. His eyes, glassy with unshed tears were a window into his soul that Ana had never seen before.

She felt her heart clench and everything inside her crumble. If Keane was falling apart ... what hope was there for any of them?

-"Please ..." Ana breathe out. "Let me help you."

With an expert hand, Keane turned himself to the side and grabbed Ana by the waist. He dragged her onto his lap, securing her intimately against him.

-"I wish you could have known me before ..." Keane lowered his lashes, refusing to meet Ana's gaze. "Before I changed into what I am today. Being this old ... it's made me selfish, self-entitled." He paused and took a shake breath. "I am a monster, Anastasia, and I think I have lived for far too long."

Without hesitation, Ana cupped his face; his scratchy, unshaven skin tickled the palm of her hands. The delicate touch caused him to lift his gaze to hers.

-"You are not a monster Keane ... you are always there for me." The words that were meant to bring comfort only seemed to anger Keane.

His eyes flickered with a terrifying rage that made Ana drop her hands from his face.

-"Don't you see!" His voice rose violently. "I do it all for _you_, Anastasia. Only you." His face contorted itself, as his anger seemed to consume him. "I will hurt, bribe, steal and even kill if it meant that I could keep you with me." The unshed tears that he held back escaped and ran down his cheek. "But you don't belong to me … Not in this lifetime, or any of them."

His words brought an icy feeling in the pit of Ana's stomach, but she ignored it, now was not the time to push at Keane ... whatever he had done, she would deal with it later. Right now she had to help him, but before she could try and formulate a viable response to his cryptic revelation, Keane took action.

Keane wrapped his strong arms around her. He brought her close to his chest. She felt him inhale deeply as he took all of her in. Her warmth, her scent, her softness. Keane cupped Ana's face and pressed his cheek to hers. His eyes shut for a brief moment as he relished in the feeling. Keane's skin felt ice cold next to hers and after a moment she felt its slight sting feeling from the coolness of it.

Ana trembled at the sensation of Keane's prickly damp cheek against her. His breath falling gently against her skin and his tenderness tore through her.

-"You are so warm." He breathed in her ear. His hot breath tickled her neck and sent chills all over her.

He pulled back and stared at her as if she were the most precious thing in the world. He brushed the back of his knuckles against her jaw. His eyes were so dark and tormented while he stared at her, as if unable to believe she was with him. His gaze uncertain, he touched her lips with the top of his forefinger.

-"The last time we shared a kiss, you ran off ..." A fire sparked in his eyes. "Let me kiss you, one last time Anastasia. Before I have to go and make things right."

The words brought many emotions to Ana, but none of them could be justified right now. Something inside her told her to do this ... that this was necessary for not only her, but for him too. Unable to find her voice, Ana found herself nodding.

Slowly and very carefully, Keane brought his hand back up and brushed her lips with his fingertips, as if he were memorizing them. Then he gently parted her lips and covered them with his. Ana was completely unprepared for the passion of his kiss. The ferocity of it. It was both rough and tender. He growled fiercely as his tongue brushed against hers, tasting her before he explored every inch of her mouth.

Ana shivered as he tasted her palate, as his tongue swept through her with pleasure. She buried her hands in his soft, ridiculous hair and moaned as he deepened the kiss to a whole new level, but all too soon; Keane pulled away, far enough that Ana's hands dropped from his hair.

-"I have to go." He said suddenly, picking her up with ease. Keane stood and gently set Ana back down on the bed.

-"What?"

-"I have to go now, Anastasia." He turned to her, his face was hard and all traces of the pleasure of the kiss were gone.

Panic began to rise inside Ana.

-"I don't understand, where are you going, Keane?" He shrugged, but Ana was not going to let him get off so easily. She held out her hand. "Please, you can trust me, Keane." She begged.

He stared at her hand as the familiar sadness reappeared on his face.

-"Anastasia ..." He groaned. "I am going to get everything back. Your husband, your family ... the regular life you have always wanted."

**oOo**

Keane had taken off like a bat out of hell. Ana had barely had time to even think of a reply before he was out the door. Seconds later the loud of sound of the trains breaks echoed through the room. Ana had no idea what Keane's cryptic message had meant but she was no idiot either, she understood that whatever had happened was tearing him apart and he meant to go save the world without her help and that was not happening.

Ana stood and with speed she rushed to the door and headed in the direction she has seen Keane turn. She bolted down the long dark corridor until a line of people blocked her way. With a frustrated sigh she glanced around until she spotted the familiar head of light brown hair. Keane stood at the front of line, waiting for the train to stop.

She stopped dead in her tracks as her heart raced a mile a minute. There was no way she could just walk up to him. He would just find another way to get away from her, but how could she help him? Following him was also out of the question.

Ana was no stealth ninja, in fact she the opposite of that. She was clumsy and she knew she had no prayer of following Keane undetected. She needed a better plan, or he would find her even before they left the train station. The locomotive slowed even more and the platform appeared in the small windows of the doors.

_Come on, think of something!_ Ana chided too herself with anger. She had to find some way to help Keane, and soon or she would lose her only chance at figuring out what he was up too.

-"I am not a bloody mind reader!" The man behind her suddenly shouted at his wife. "If you have a bloody problem with me woman, speak up."

Ana gasped. That was it! She was not a mind reader but Keane had been trying to show her how. He said she had the potential, that all shadow empaths had also been mild telepaths. But Ana had not done well at all with that part of her lessons. In fact she really had not wanted to learn how.

_-"I don't see why I need to do this." Ana pouted. "I don't want to see what is in people's minds."_

_-"It could save your life someday, Anastasia, now close your eyes and concentrate." Keane repeated__ with his typical endless patience for her quirks__._

Now that moment was here. Well, it wasn't a life or death situation but she felt like it was and she wished she had taken her lessons more to heart. But she had to try something and this was the only good solution thus far.

Ana closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. She tried to ignore the noise and sounds around her. She blocked off the couple arguing behind her, along with jostling of the train. She disregarded the impatient people mumbling and grumbling wanting to be let out.

Ana blocked it all out and concentrated on one thing. _Keane_. She pictured the tall, strong warrior as she had always seen him. Heroic and powerful, yet cunning and devious when he needed to be. She remembered Keane telling her how to access his thoughts. That it was easier to get into someone's mind when they were unguarded, preoccupied and Keane was just that.

As if a bolt lightning had shot through her body, Ana grew stiff as she felt thousands of thoughts and images slam into her. She tried not to fight against the awful unfamiliar feeling of new the new foreign thoughts and images.

The sudden onslaught of bizarre emotions overtook Ana as the images of Keane holding Evie's limp body flashed in front of her. The images were slightly distorted and almost appeared too vivid to be real, but she knew they were. Ana was seeing what Keane was thinking and to her surprise, what he felt.

The worst feeling of dread overcame her as she watched Keane hand Evie over to a dark figure, moments later the images changed to Keane saving Ana. He had exchanged her sister for her.

_That bastard_, Ana thought angrily as the images wavered.

Ana stamped down on her own anger before she lost Keane's thoughts, she took a deep breath but before she could exhale the pictures changed. Ana stood in front of a memory of herself from Keane mind. Her bright smiling face turned to Zak and hugged him tightly.

The overwhelming feelings of sadness and lost made her gasped for breath as she realized what Keane was remembering and what he was doing.

The government agency that had Evie had also taken Zak. They no longer needed him and they were going to dispose of him …

Suddenly wanting to look away, Ana felt her entire skin break into a sweat. She felt sick and couldn't breathe, but the thoughts kept coming in waves that made her feel even sicker.

Keane had known what he had done was wrong and now he was paying the ultimate price; his guilt was eating away at his soul. Now he planned to fix it all, including getting Zak back, even if it meant he would die.

A hard shove brought Ana back to reality. The angry man behind her pushed her aside.

-"Get out of the way, _lady_!" He growled as he stomped by.

Ana blinked and glanced around to realize the train doors had opened and people had been waiting on her to move. She leaned against the wall as people walked by, some glaring at her angrily, while others looked at her as if she had gone mental. She ignored them while her heart erratically raced in her chest.

Keane had given Evie to the government agency as an exchange for her. He had even told them to go ahead and rid of Zak.

Now he felt remorse for what all this would do to her and he was bound and determined to fix it all. He loved Ana with everything he had in him and he was going to give her a happy ending, even if it wasn't with him. Keane was tired and he was going to save not only her sister and her husband, but the entire world.

The realization of the dire situation hit Ana like a ton of bricks. She had to help Keane, there was no way she could just let him go off and do this on his own. Spurring into action, Ana quickly hurried for the exit. She rushed outside and looked around, frantically searching for Keane. She had to find him. Stop him.

-"Keane?" She shouted through the crowd. "Keane?!"

Ana rushed through the train station like a madwoman, she pushed and shoved anyone that dared to get into her way. She could not let Keane run to his death like this. The crowd of people grew thicker and fuller the deeper she got into the station. Soon she had to stop her running and came to a standstill.

Her eyes scanned the giant room as people engulfed her, rushing by, trying to get to their destinations. There was no way she could find him, not in this crowd of people.

Lucky for her had seen where Keane was headed. Somewhere a few hours outside of London, an old winery that had been converted into a warehouse years ago. With a new found determination, Ana rushed for the exit in search for a map and some form of transportation. She had to stop Keane.

Ana knew exactly how he planned to stopped everything. He was going to kill the Guardian, and in the process let himself die.

There was no way she could let that happen.

* * *

**A/N: I just want to take a moment and thank you all for the support and reads. You reading my story keeps me motivate to finish this book. I love reading all your comments and PMs. They really do make a difference. **


	26. Chapter 25 - Love is to Die

**Chapter 25  
Love i****s to Die**

Zak let out a pitiful moan which was the most he could muster out of himself. His entire body ached. He briefly wondered how much longer he could do this for … but despite feeling like death, he refused to give anyone the satisfaction of screaming, not that he could... His throat felt as dry as the Sahara Desert and he was pretty sure his lips were about ready to turn to dust.

It was hard to believe that just a few days ago he had been on a plane to London with every intentions of telling Justin to fuck off. He had enough and he was done being his bitch, then he would have gone off to find his wife and done whatever it took to get her back.

He had to make Ana understand that he had hid had been for her, too protect her. It did not excuse any of his behavior, but his back had been up against the wall ... How else was he supposed to keep his family safe against a supernatural being? He hoped like hell Ana would once again forgive him.

But things had not gone as planned, and he was more desperate than ever to get Ana back. She had left him over a week ago and he could barely function without her. She had left her cellphone behind and Nick had been ignoring his phone calls. He had no idea where she was or if she was safe, all he knew was that he had a very bad feeling about things.

On the flight to London, his gut feeling had gotten worst and he knew something was wrong ... and boy had he been right.

When he had landed at the airport, some of Justin's men had grabbed him just outside the terminal. With a hard hit to the back of the head they had taken him out without effort and he had woken up suspended in the room he was in now.

Zak had been strung up like a slaughtered animal ready for gutting. With his hands bound in metal chains, he had been hoisted up from a hook in the middle of the room. His shirt had been stripped away and he had been left to dangle for days. He had lost all feeling in his hands within minutes. The excruciating pain in his arms from supporting his weight had disappeared long ago and was now replaced by a simple numb feeling.

The dark, damp room was hot and held a sickly scent of death. Now, hanging from his chains, Zak's chest and face were covered with a fine sheet of sweat and dust. Most of the fight had left him days ago. Having not been fed for two days had completely depleted him and he had come to the conclusion and acceptance that he was going to die in this disgusting place.

The irony was certain not lost on him though; he was going too expired in the same type of location he had always loved investigating. A place where the atmosphere felt dark and oppressive and had an ominous past. He briefly wondered if he would be one of the residual spirits who most probably haunted this place ... he doubted it ... there was a special place for people like him. There would be no peace in the afterlife.

-"I told you, one day I would get you back." A voice suddenly came from the back of the room.

Footsteps echoed on the cement floor. Zak cracked his tired eyes open and tried to focus on the fuzzy figure that stood before him, but he didn't need his eyes to tell him who it was.

-"Fuck you." Zak managed to mutter from his parched, cracked lips.

Justin let out a whoop of laughter.

-"That isn't very nice." He grinned. "Especially for someone who comes bearing gifts."

At those words, Zak tried a bit harder to focus on the loathsome man in front of him. Justin held up a bottle of cool water and shook it with vigor, keeping his stupid smile plastered on his face. Zak tried to ignore the water but his eyes remained on the cool bottle as if it was ambrosia, but he knew it was useless to beg for it.

Justin meant to torture him and he would not give him the satisfaction of knowing that he had in fact broken him. Truth be told he had cracked the first day he had lied to Ana ... since that day, things had merely been spiraling downhill. This final fate was something he had anticipated and even welcomed. He only wished he could apologize one last time to Ana.

Zak lowered his head and let his eyes drift shut.

-"Oh, come on, you don't want this?" Justin shook the bottle once again but got no response from Zak. With a sigh, Justin set the bottle on the ground. "Seriously, you are not much fun. You changed, you used to have more life in you ... Your friend Nick was more entertainment then you." At Nick's name, Zak perked up. He picked his head back up and narrowed his hazy gaze on Justin.

-"You have Nick?" Zak croaked out with pain. His heartrate suddenly picked up. If this madman had Nick it meant he must have Ana...

-"I _had_ him ..." Justin casually strolled to the wall where the chains to Zak's restrains were holding him up.

With ease, Justin unhooked the chains and with a loud clang the bonds were loosen. Within seconds Zak felt the hold on his hands loosen and he crashed to the ground.

He had only been suspended a few inches from the floor but having been left dangling for days; Zak had no strength in any of his limbs. With a very unceremonious plop, Zak crumpled to the ground. His entire body hit the cement as a jolting pain resonated through his body. Letting out a pained filled screamed; Zak tried to calm his palpitating heart. The agony that shot through his body was like nothing he had ever felt in his entire life and he wondered for a moment if he was in fact going to die in the grimy little room. Shutting his eyes, Zak wrestled to keep consciousness as he let the coolness of the dirty cement floor course through him.

With his arms still outstretch over his head, as if he was still bound up, he felt something cold and wet nudge at his hands. With difficulty, he picked his head up from the filthy floor and noticed Justin had kicked over the bottle of water.

Unsure if this was a trick or not, Zak took a chance and with great pain, he flexed his fingers slowly, working hard at getting the circulation back into them. He ignored the terrible tingling sensation that suddenly went through his unused limbs and with difficulty he grabbed onto the bottle and with as much care as he could muster he ignored the burning agony lowering his arm brought him.

Clutching the bottle like his only lifeline he worked for several minutes at getting it open. His fingers were numb but as the feeling came back into them he finally popped the cap off and drank the water like a dying man in the desert.

All traces of pride now gone, he gulped and slurped thirstily until the bottle was dry. Once the water was gone, Zak wished he had several more, but it had been enough to clear his mind along with giving him a renewed sense of strength to get the hell out of here.

He bowed his head and tried to gather his thoughts now that he felt a bit more human. Justin had said he had Nick ... did that mean he also had Ana? He had to find out without letting him know how desperate he was to have an update on his wife.

-"What the hell do you want from me, Justin?" Zak spat at him, sick of playing these games with the madman.

Justin lazily strolled over and stopped inches from Zak who braced himself. If history was any indicator at how things were going to go, he knew Justin had a penchant for violence, especially when the other party was at a disadvantage. But while Zak prepared himself for the worst, the blow never came. Instead Justin crouched down to eye level. Zak glared at him, refusing to be intimidated.

-"I have a favor to ask you." Justin flashed him his flawless smile.

Zak stamped down the urge to punch him right in the mouth and hopefully damage the perfect teeth his money had bought.

-"Ask away, it's not like I'm in the position to refuse." Zak growled, feeling his entire body tingle painfully as the blood recirculated through his veins.

-"I need you to escort a young lady."

Zak frowned at the odd yet simple request, but refused to let himself be played like a poppet anymore. He had agreed two years ago to work with Justin against his better judgement. The two men had always butted heads but Zak reminded himself of their common goal, to get rid of the Guardian efficiently and without anyone getting hurt. But it would seem that the last part had escaped Justin's understanding.

-"I don't fucking work for you anymore."

Justin laughed.

-"No ... No you don't, Zak. But see this is a really simple favor and frankly it would save me a hell of a lot of trouble."

Zak scowled at his captor.

-"Oh, well shit, if it will save you the trouble ... _Fuck no_."

Justin laughed again as he stood back up. He gave Zak a friendly slap to the shoulder before strolling back over to the exit door.

-"Alright ... well I guess if you are so adamant on not helping me." Justin paused. "Too bad, I am sure that little girl of yours will understand when they tell her that both her parents tragically died, even though her mother could have been saved." Justin reached for the door handle and with a loud creak he twisted it.

-"Wait, what the hell are you talking about?" Zak hollered.

With speed, which caused him an enormous amount of pain, Zak stood unsteadily on his feet. His limbs shook as he took several uncertain steps towards Justin. With a sly satisfaction, Justin turned around trying to appear innocent.

-"Well, since you won't help with the final phase of our plan, I have to take more drastic measures and just get rid of the one person that can release the Guardian, and that's Ana ..."

At Justin's haunting words, Zak lost it; no one threatened Ana and got away with it. He lunged at Justin but being so weak and unbalanced, he easily side-stepped and Zak crashed into the wall. His head hit the cement with a loud thud and his entire vision was clouded. He ignored the pain of the fresh gash on his forehead and with a relentless determination he somehow found the strength to get back his feet.

The room spun and he wavered.

-"If you touch a hair on Ana's head I'll fucking kill you myself." Zak slurred out.

-"Yes, because I am shaking in my boots right now." Justin snickered out. "Your chivalry is quite honorable, Zak, but be realistic. I've had you strung up in here for three days. You are not doing shit to me. So this is my offer. Escort Evie inside the portal and make sure she kill the Guardian and nothing will happen to your precious Ana ... or your daughter."

Zak felt his stomach sink and the water he had drank churned angrily, threatening to come back out. He felt himself fall against the wall as his legs gave out, not able to support his weight any longer; he slowly slinked down the wall until he hit the ground. Justin's words spun through his mind.

He had Evie and he was going ahead with his plan. Zak never thought Justin would get this far. He had always somehow assumed that things would be alright; that everything would worked itself out. But this was not a fairytale and there would be no happy ending.

-"How – How did you get her?" Zak found himself slowly asking.

Justin shrugged.

-"Let's just say I made an old warrior an offer he couldn't refuse."

At Justin's cryptic words, Zak broke into a cold sweat.

-"What the fuck are you talking about?" He shouted, having enough of playing the idiotic word game.

Sensing that he was pushing his luck, Justin dropped all pretenses with Zak.

-"It's finally going to happen, Zak. What I have been working towards for so fucking long." Justin took a few steps to close the distance between the two men. "I will have everything I ever wanted and it's all thanks to you." Giving Zak a chilling smile, he knew then that Justin was not just the ambitious guy he thought he was, he was actually totally insane. "Keane made a small exchange, the precious Ana for Evie." Justin let out a high pitch giggle. "It's so easy to manipulate you both with that woman, it's quite comical and I am going to miss the entertainment of it."

Zak wasn't sure what made his anger worst. That Justin had Ana or that Keane now apparently had her all to himself, but in the end, the lather was much more appealing. He knew Ana would be safe ... he hoped.

-"So you got Evie, what the hell does that have to do with me? You got everything, just destroy the fucking Guardian and move on."

Shaking his head, Justin once again got to eye level with Zak.

-"Yeah, see I can't do that. I need to make sure Evie does the deed and I need you out of my way. I can't leave any loose ends dangling around, now can I? So why not hit two birds with one stone. As soon as Evie kills the Guardian the portal will close and it will either kill you or you'll be stuck in the shadow world, either way you won't be here."

With some pain, Zak sat up a bit straighter.

-"Yeah ... see, I don't think I like that idea." Zak chuckled with little humor.

-"You don't have a choice, cause like I told you, both you and Keane will do anything for Ana, and if you don't do this, Ana is as good as dead."

-"Keane will protect her." The words left Zak's lips with difficulty and it made him want to retch. But he knew that Keane would give his life for Ana.

-"Sorry to break it to you there old boy. But I am pretty damn sure that once that portal closes, that annoying ass warrior will die. His only fucking purpose is to protect that shadow world, and if that world is gone, he has nothing left to keep him alive." Justin's voice dropped to a gleeful whisper. "He will die, you'll be dead and I will have full access to do what the hell I want with Ana."

The chilling words slowly sunk in. Zak's entire body shook and trembled as all the pieces fell into place.

-"That was your plan all along ... you just want what, Ana to yourself?"

Justin laughed hysterically.

-"Fuck no! I don't want that used up bitch. She has been with Keane for a while now; do you really think he hasn't had his way with her too? Sheesh, I got standards." Justin shivered dramatically as if the thought of being with Ana was so repulsive. "No, unlike you two love-sick dogs I see the bigger picture. She is my ticket to finally get that dream job."

-"Huh?"

-"I have been documenting everything we have been doing here. Of course I left out the crude details but I am going to sell my story to the world, telling them how I saved the world from this creature that would have killed everyone. Tragically my entire staff died valiantly working to save the world and I barely escaped with my life. Or so I will tell in my documentary. With all the proof I have collected no one will be able to deny it and when I present Ana, a shadow empath to the world, I will be famous. Hell she will be rich thanks to me. I am doing her a fucking favor." Justin examined his nails seeming a bit bored. "It's up to you what kind of life she has after you are dead."

Zak was flabbergasted.

-"You are doing this ... for money?" He whispered harshly.

Justin smiled brightly.

-"What else is there?" He stood and crossed his arms over his chest. He gazed down at Zak seriously. "I am offering you one hell of a deal. You can either die a hero, while Ana lives out a happy life with your daughter not ever wanting for a thing. Or you can rot here while I go ahead with my plan, Keane dies, I get Ana, bring her back here so you can watch her die ... the choice is yours, Zak."

* * *

I paced the room for the hundredth time. I was pretty sure I had worn a small trail in the old shag carpet … But it would seem that since I had agreed to play their sacrificial pawn I had been granted a room upgrade, not that it was much to rave about, but at least this room had paint that had probably been made in the last twenty years. The carpet and furniture on the other hand were a whole other story.

-"So how long do I have to wait here?" I asked my guard, Eloise.

-"Until Justin is ready for you." She said simply, looking up from her phone.

With a sigh I tried to ignore the growing anxiety inside of me. Frankly if I was going to die I just wanted it over with. I did not want to have the next week to contemplate my life and the what-ifs. I also could not bear the false sense of hope that time would bring.

Hope was a funny thing. I thought back to the history lesson I had given only a few months ago, about the legends and myths surrounding Pandora's box. All the evils of the world were in the box, along with hope. The feeling that some people held on when things got dark in their lives, something that said to give them strength. But I didn't want any of those; I knew this was the right thing.

But if I had learned anything, I knew Nick would not give up so easily and if he somehow found his way back to wherever the hell I was, he was going to get himself killed. My life was not worth his or anyone else's. My only hope and wish was that he would stay away … I knew no one else would come to my rescue ... No one else would miss me. Nobody would risk their lives for me.

Keane had what he wanted; he had traded Ana for me. I knew Keane, he would take Ana far away from here and keep her safe along with keeping the truth from her. She would never know what happened to me and it was just as well.

-"Well … Go tell your all mighty leader that I just want this over with." I grumbled bitterly letting myself sag onto the old ottoman couch.

Eloise gave me a sympathetic wince.

-"I can get you something to eat or drink ..." She offered but as soon as she did she flinched. "Sorry ... that was lame. You are about to go die and here I am offering you chips and soda, like that is going to make things better."

I could tell by the tone of her voice that she was not all that ecstatic with some of the decisions that had been made.

That annoying small spark of hope suddenly became a bit brighter.

I carefully watched the woman as she blinked several times and glanced back down at her phone. She had been texting ever since I had been locked in this room. Every once in a while a tiny smile would appear on her lips while she read her message.

I cleared my throat and tried to put on my best casual face.

-"Texting a boyfriend?" I asked lightly.

Eloise demeanor suddenly changed. Her hands gripped her phone a bit too tightly and her face became a shade paler.

-"No ... " She shook her head, her pretty short blonde hair followed the jerky movement. "I don't have a boyfriend. With the work I do – It's too risky ..."

I nodded, wishing I could not relate but the truth was I knew exactly what she meant.

-"Yeah ... I understand." I finished quietly.

Eloise frowned.

-"Sorry." She sighed sadly sensing where my thoughts had gone. "Nick will be okay, Justin can be a total ass but he will do what he promised."

-"I wish I could believe that." I bit back the tears that threaten to spill.

Eloise was silent for a moment several minutes as she vigorously texted on her phone but she soon glanced back up at me, beaming.

-"I just text one of the guys who took him and they dropped him off almost an hour ago. He was awake and pretty irate and threatened the guys until they got him out of the van." I let out a long breath I didn't know I was holding. Nick was okay. Thank heavens. Seeing my relief, Eloise's smile turned watery. "You are very lucky."

-"How so?" I gaped at her, confused.

-"You found true love ... you Nick ... he loves you. I never seen anyone love like that." She shook her head. "Well except for Zak. That guy and his Ana … What is it about these ghost hunting men?"

I returned her sad smile.

-"It's not all that it's cracked up to be. I didn't know what I had until today."

-"At least you know now."

I stared at the petite girl in front of me and suddenly felt a swell of compassion for her. I had no idea what her story was or how she had gotten mixed up with this group of idiots, but she didn't seem to be someone who deserved the sort of life she was in store for.

-"You will, Eloise, you just need to get away from this crazy shit. What the hell are you even doing here?" I asked, holding nothing back.

-"It's ... complicated ..." She looked away embarrassed. "I didn't have a choice."

Seeing my opening, I quickly jumped on it.

-"If you are here against your will why don't we help each other out? We can get out of here together?" I leaned forward, whispering hopefully.

-"No!" Eloise jumped to her feet and reached for the gun at her side.

On instincts I also got to my feet and held my hands up.

-"Okay ... okay, relax ..." My voice shook. "I didn't mean –"

Eloise shook her head. Her trembling hands hovered above her gun holster.

-"I am here to finish this job. After this I can go. I am sorry Evie ... I don't want anyone to die but I _have_ to help Justin."

I nodded, quickly thinking. It was obvious Eloise did not want to be here and that Justin had something on her or had threatened someone close to her and I had hit a nerve, but now that I saw a potential ally I couldn't help but feel this sense of renewed hope that maybe there was a way out of this after all.

I had to keep digging to find a way out of this.

-"I'm sorry ..." My voice hiccupped dramatically. "I just – I just want to say goodbye to Nick before I have to die ... You know, the proper way." Eloise relaxed a bit and dropped her arms to her side. Tears pooled in my eyes and I silently thanked my high school drama club teacher for showing me how to get myself to cry on cue. "I wish I could hear his voice, one last time." I kept my gaze locked on hers. "Maybe you could let me call him, you know just to say goodbye."

-"I can't ..." Eloise whispered, her eyes clouding up with tears.

-"Please." I begged, no longer acting. My face damp with tears, I swallowed my own shame and pride as the situation washed over me. I _had_ to hear Nick, one last time. "I _need_ to say goodbye ... He is all I have. The only good thing I have ever had in my entire shitty life."

Silence stretched out between us for a long time. Eloise bright eyes were rimmed red. The only sound in the room was the occasional sniffle as I tried to pull myself together. Crying would not solve anything. Eloise suddenly exhaled loudly and to my shock she stretched out a shaky hand with her mobile.

-"Make it fast ... and if someone comes in I will make a show of us fighting." She said with a steel conviction I did not doubt.

I nodded vigorously as I quickly swiped her smartphone screen to wake up the device. The welcoming screen came up and seconds later the messaging window popped up. The conversation with the person she had been texting appeared before me. I tried not to pry but before I could press the panel to the dialer, I noticed the person she had been chatting too was named Aaron. The tiny photo next to his name resembled a lot like the Aaron that I had met a few times.

But that was impossible right?

There was no way the very same Aaron would be involved with my kidnapper? Was there …?

With my head reeling, I glanced up at Eloise who seemed more concerned with the door then me right now, so I quickly scrolled up. She and Aaron had shared over a thousand texts. Some were long while others were short and quirky, but one thing was obvious, they were more than just friends.

-"Are you calling him?" Eloise asked over her shoulder.

-"Yeah ... Sorry ... I forgot to put in the area code before dialing." I lied.

I quickly exited out of the texting box and dialed Nick's number, hoping and praying that he still had a phone on him to answer.

After five rings I readied myself to hear his voicemail but to my surprise his breathless voice answered.

-"Hello?" The sound of the London traffic blared in the background as I found myself speechless. I was calling him to say goodbye ... but the words were suddenly lost. "Hello?" He asked again, with annoyance.

-"Nick?" I croaked out.

-"Evie?" He gasped. "Where the hell are you?" He shouted his voice cracking.

-"I – I don't know."

-"Evie, describe it for me, baby. I am coming to get you. How did you get away?"

-"I didn't get away." I whispered, holding back the new onset of tears.

-"Wait, what?" Nick paused for a moment while I heard the being rustled around. Nick then shouted. "Aaron hold up."

I felt my heart drop. He was with Aaron? How …? Was Aaron also working for Justin? I had to warn him.

-"Nick, who are you talking too?"

-"Aaron. When those fucking assholes dumped me, I called him. I didn't know who else to call but it turned out he was already in London looking for us. He had been on his way to the Scotland Yard, so we just met up. I am trying to get a car now." A loud horn blared in the background. "Evie, I am coming to get you. I don't know exactly where you are, but I was able to see a few road signs before they dumped me. I know you are in some sort of warehouse outside of London." I heard a car door being shut and all the noises in the background died. "I am coming for you."

I shook my head.

-"No, Nick, don't do that." Eloise turned to me, hearing the concern in my voice. My worried gaze locked with her and I knew then I would pay dearly for what I was about to do. "Nick, watch out for Aaron, I think he is working with them. Just get away from him and just run!" I roared into the mobile.

-"What –?" Nick started, but I was unable to hear the rest.

With almost inhuman speed, Eloise reached out and violently jerked the phone from my hands but in our struggle the phone slipped and fell to the ground, breaking on contact.

-"What do you mean Aaron is here?" Eloise shouted inches from my face, ignoring her broken cellphone. All traces of compassion for me were gone.

She grabbed the collar of my shirt and shook me violently. I tried to brace myself but the girl was more powerful then I had anticipated.

-"I ... don't ... know..." I grinded out, having trouble speaking from being shook every which way.

-"Fuck!" She screamed, pushing me hard.

I fell into the large ottoman behind me, hitting my head on its wooden leg. With a sickly crack the entire room went dark.

**A/N: As I wrote this chapter I realized that I was once again adding another POV (Zak's). Which had never been my intentions but it just seemed fitting and the best way to make sense of some of the things going on.  
As always thank you for the PM's and comments. I really do appreciate the support, without any of you this fiction would not have made it this far.**


	27. Chapter 26 - We will meet again

**Chapter 26  
We will meet again**

"Evie? Evie, wake up, are you okay?" I heard the familiar voice from far away. "What the fuck did you do to her?" The voice shouted a bit too loudly for my aching head.

Some low mumbling was the reply to my newest protector outburst, along with some rustling sounds that were in the background. Moments later I felt a pair of strong arms slip under my body and felt myself being lifted up. My head was closely coddled to a warm, bare chest and at its sensation I snuggled in deeper into its heat, a heavenly spicy scent engulfed me. Maybe I was finally at home, I thought happily as the warmest ended all too soon and I felt myself being deposited down onto a soft surface.

"Evie, sweetie, you've got to wake up." The low voice murmured.

The annoying muttering of someone else speaking was a buzz in the background and soon the loud sound of a door shutting resonated through the room. As much as I didn't want to wake up, I knew I had too, but damn my head was killing me. I cracked my eyes open and to my dismay the same ugly ceiling from earlier stared back at me. _Damn ... still here, _I thought bitterly. But man, my head really did hurt ... I reached up to rub the sore spot at the back when a familiar face came into my field of vision.

"Hey, your awake." Zak smiled down at me.

My stomach dropped.

"You ..." I gasped, trying to scramble up and get away from him.

"Whoa, whoa, chill out, it's okay." He put his hands up, as a show of peace but I wasn't buying a single minute of it. This was the man that started everything.

"Get the fuck away from me!" I shouted loudly, causing my head to throb like a drum at a heavy metal concert.

A slight flicker of annoyance appeared on Zak's face but it was gone within seconds and it was immediately replaced with a serious gaze of concern.

"Evie, please. I don't want to hurt you." He bent forward slightly and lowered his voice. "I am on your side."

I felt myself shrink back even more into the old couch I had been deposited on. I had not seen Zak more than the one time back in Chicago but I knew exactly who he was. This was the man my sister married and trusted. This was the man that had helped capture me. Although I could see why Ana had fallen for him, he was quite something to look at on the exterior but his eyes ... they told a whole different story. They were sad and filled with pain. They were completely different from when we had first met.

-"Why should I believe you?" I finally asked, keeping my hard gaze on him.

Zak shrugged and with a heavy sigh he sank to his knees on the dirty linoleum floor.

"I don't know ..." His head lowered and for the first time I noticed he was shirtless and looked unkempt and weary. "I seriously never meant to hurt you ..." He paused midway into his sentence, seeming like he wanted to gather his thoughts. I felt myself relax as I watched him having some sort of inner battle with something inside of him. I couldn't be sure if he was being truthful but he really did look like a man who had many regrets. Zak raised his head and to my surprise his eyes were clouded by unshed tears. "I never meant to hurt anyone. I didn't even know if you were real."

"What do you mean?" I asked softly.

"It's not an excuse, but Keane ... he always lies. That fucker couldn't tell the truth even if he was on his death bed. I had no idea if he was making shit up about Ana having a sister and I wasn't willing to risk her safety on his say. I had to protect her ... " Zak sorrow-filled eyes were full of shame. "I am so sorry Evie ..."

I found myself nodding as I watched Zak bow his head once again his demeanor screaming that he was regretful. The man that emitted an aura of strength and power when I first met him had been reduced to someone who was obviously suffering beyond words. I slowly scooted to the edge of the couch and with a careful tentative hand I reached out and set my hand on his large shoulder. His head immediately snapped up.

"I know you didn't want to hurt anyone ... I don't either." My voice trembled. "That's why I am going in that place, that shadow world and I am going to end this today. So no one else gets hurt over this shit."

-"I wish there was another way out of this." His voice was flat and didn't seem to reflect the tough guy that he was.

"Why are you here?" I asked.

"Justin wants me to make sure you – that you do what you have to do." He replied not meeting my stare.

"He wants you to go in and kill the Guardian with me?" I gasped, surprised. Zak nodded. "But won't that kill you too?"

"Most probably." Zak laughed without much humor.

I mulled this over for several minutes while Zak hoisted himself off the ground with some difficulty and took a cautious seat next to me. I didn't know Zak at all. All I knew was the little bits that I had picked up from Keane, Ana and Nick. Zak had been Nick's best friend and I knew that losing that had really torn at Nick. He had always spoken highly of Zak and he was still baffled by how his friend had gotten mixed up with this whole strange situation. Zak had been a loving husband and caring father ... maybe he did speak the truth when he said he had done those things out of desperation.

Extending my hand out towards Zak, he picked his head up and gave me an unsure look.

"Well, it's nice to finally meet my brother in law." I gave him a shaky smile.

Zak chuckled and gripped my hand in a tight hold for a long moment. His big hands practically swallowed mine and I wondered how he managed to be so gentle with Ana, who was so tiny compared to him.

-"Yeah, likewise, little sis." He gave a sad grin which soon fell from his face. "I just don't understand one thing." His hand dropped from mine and I gave him a single nod to continue. "Why are you so willing to just give up?"

"Huh?"

"You are just going to let Justin sacrifice you?" His voice held a hint of anger.

"I don't want to die, if that is what you are insinuating." I replied calmer then I felt. "But I don't want to see anyone else get hurt because of me. I mean let's face it, Ana is a weapon that the world can never find out about and I can make it so she will never be used." I gave a laugh which came out much more bitterly then I had expected. "It seems like no matter what, everyone is always falling over and scrambling to get to help my sister."

I really didn't know my sister all that well. Too be fair, we had barely spent any time together, but I couldn't help feel a sense of jealousy at the fact that she had two men, who apparently would backstab, kill and even die for her, and it would seem that I was prepared to do that too. Despite my snarky comment, Zak set his hand on my knee and gave it a friendly squeeze.

"You are more like Ana then you are giving yourself credit for." He gave me a tight smile as if he was remembering some sort of event from some time ago. "Ana would give up her life too to save the people she cares about." Zak finished, not elaborating much more.

But he didn't have too, his words really hit home. I had no idea what Ana had done but it was obvious that whatever it was, she had saved lives and it and Zak admired her greatly for that. Maybe she and I really were not so different after all ... I glanced over at Zak who wore a sorrowful expression.

"I get why I am here, but what are you doing here, Zak? There is no reason for you to die with me."

Zak gave a loud chuckle and stood up hastily as if the thought of being seated for a moment longer was going to kill him. He paced several times before speaking.

"It would seem that karma caught up to me." His voice held a hint of humor I did not understand.

"Huh?"

"Justin and I ... we have a long history, from before this shit." Zak sighed loudly. "I fucked up his life plans, so I guess it's only fitting that he screws up mine."

* * *

Ana handed the taxi driver several dollars before she jumped out of the car, happy she had kept her bank card and that Zak had insisted that they get international banking because of all the traveling they did. Although, it had taken Ana some time to get to where she was now.

She had no idea the exact location of the warehouse and after describing the place to several people, one had finally told her it sounded like the old abandoned ship-sail maker factory and warehouse. Not wasting a moment, Ana had found a taxi and made her way to the old building which was located just outside of London.

Ana had the taxi driver drop her off a few blocks from the actual building but as she approached it she knew it was the right place. The images from Keane's mind were seared onto hers and this exact building had been the place he had been heading too. This was here Evie was being held. Ana just had no idea how or what she was going to do to save her sister, but she knew she had to do something to get her back, even if it meant she had to march in there and bargain for Evie's freedom with hers.

Stopping near the old, crumbling warehouse, Ana looked up suddenly feeling overwhelmed. The place did seem empty, at least from the outside but looks could be deceiving. Ana decided to make a quick assessment of the building itself. It's not like she could simply waltz in the front door after all, but she was willing to bet that there were doors in the back which would give her a way to get in.

The giant building had a very Gothic feeling to it. Constructed of old a brown brick with several tall peaks at the roof, the place was very intimating. Ana counted three floors with several large windows. Some were broken while others were boarded up. Trees and the classic English ivy was overgrowing every which way, in and out of cracks in the building itself.

With ease she slipped to the side of the building and scurried along in the shadows. Not that anyone would have noticed. The neighborhood itself was in shambles and while many of the buildings seemed to be unoccupied, Ana kept her guard up. She crept her way along the building, her brown lace-up wedge-boots crunched over the bits of asphalt and glass as she tried her best to be quiet.

Ana walked steadily until she reached the corner. When she rounded it she found herself in a small courtyard where it must have been the loading area. The giant garage doors had been boarded up but Ana noticed at the far end of the building there was a single door slightly ajar. Seeing the perfect opportunity to get inside, Ana made a dash for the door but as she passed one of the several small alcoves she was suddenly grabbed by the waist and pulled back into its shadows. Ana tried to scream as the attacker's grip around her waist tightened, but a cool hand came up and stifled the scream.

"Shhhh!" The voice whispered too close to her ear. "It's me, relax luv, it's just me, Keane."

Ana twisted her head to the side and was met with the familiar bright hazel eyes. Sensing Ana relax a bit, Keane's hold loosened and his hand dropped from her mouth. He let Ana take a step away from him, but in a hasty move he suddenly gripped her wrist in a painful grasp and yanked her hard so she was pressed up against him again.

"What the bloody hell are you doing here, Anastasia?" He whispered harshly.

"I -" But Keane gave her no time to reply.

"Don't bother." He spat angrily. "Do you really think you could peer into my mind and I would not notice?" His voice stayed a quiet whisper but Ana could see the immense anger in his stare. "I went to great lengths to protect you, why are you here?" He gave her a violent shake.

Ana gripped Keane's forearms, clutching at the scratchy wool blazer as she tried to steady herself.

"I couldn't let you come alone." Ana managed to grind out.

At those words Keane stopped his shaking, his face lost all its anger.

"Anastasia..." He groaned. "You cannot be here."

Ana was about to ask why when suddenly Keane frantically pulled her towards him, but only to push her further into the alcove, shoving her behind him.

"What are you doing?" She asked, slightly panicked.

Keane pushed Ana until her back hit the moss brick wall. He pressed his back to her chest. Ana could feel his entire body stiffen and before he could reply she saw why he had pushed her back. Two silhouettes appeared.

"'Bout time you showed up, warrior. I was beginning to think your conscience would never kick in." The shadow laughed. To Ana's surprise the noise sounded vaguely familiar.

Ana heard Keane curse as he turned his head to the side.

"You should have listened to me." His voice was sad, but held a certain steel and anger to it. He turned back towards the fast approaching strangers. "Fuck you, you bloody arsehole." Keane spat.

Ana had never heard Keane swear and it would seem the man coming towards them had never either. He let out a loud whoop of laughter that pierced Ana like a knife. She _knew_ that laugh...

"Wow Keane. Your language has gone downhill." The man approached and soon his features became visible. "What's wrong, you don't like being backed into a corner?" He grinned widely as Ana let out a gasp.

"Justin?" She whispered.

**oOo**

Ana and Keane were dragged into the old warehouse. As soon as they entered the large building several men converged on Keane who didn't resist or fight any of his captors. A man quickly snapped a pair of handcuffs around his wrists along with a matching set around his ankles. When the men were done they quickly moved back and assumed a military position near them.

Ana's mind was a whirlwind of thoughts as she watched Keane keep his head high and his hard gaze on Justin. _Her Justin_. The man she had been supposed to marry three years ago. After she had gotten back from Transylvania with Zak, Ana had not seen much of Justin at all. She remembered their last encounter together. She had been at his old apartment, packing up the few things she wanted to take with her to Las Vegas.

To her surprise Justin had been pleasant and had even seemed happy.

_"Are you sure you don't want the couch?" Justin asked, his tall form leaning against the frame of the bedroom door._

_"No, I just want a few pictures and books __that I have here." Ana replied, still feeling __slightly guarded against him._

_Justin nodded and slowly approached her, taking a seat on the edge of the bed, next to her. He glanced down at the scattered photos she had laid out on the bed, making separate piles, some for her to take and others to leave. Justin reached for a picture she had left in his pile. It had been taken at one of her mother's costume parties, she and Justin both smiling widely at the camera._

_"I remember when we took this; we had been dating for three weeks." Justin chuckled. "You were so nervous that you ended up changing twice when I got to your apartment to pick you up. Cathy had grilled me the entire time." Keeping his eyes on the photo he sighed at the memory. "She hated me the day she met me."_

_Ana smiled despite __being __wary of him._

_"Yeah ... remember when she had that guy she was dating at the time disconnect the fuel pump from your car."_

_"That bitch costed me a hundred bucks for the tow." Justin grinned, his tone held no malice or hatred. Both Ana and Justin fell silent as they both stared at the picture which seemed to contain a bit over three years of memories for them. Justin set the picture down and glanced up at Ana. "Things didn't always suck for us, Ana." He sighed and stood up. "I really hope you and Zak are happy, I mean that." He murmured and quickly left the room, leaving her to pack alone._

Now as Ana stood in the same room with that very same man who had wished her well made her brain hurt. Why was he even here, and looking like some sort of crude, hardcore military guy. Keane's restrained jangled as he tried to adjust his hands which were turning a sickly shade of purple.

"Do you like them?" Justin asked Keane with a grin. "They are specially made for you. They are made of tantalum. That shit is expensive by the way, but it's one of the strongest metals in the world. I figured it would hold you long enough."

"Justin what is going on?" Ana asked before she even knew the words left her lips.

He turned to Ana.

"My civic duty, Ana. Protecting the world from this menace _you_ have been harboring."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Justin laughed.

"God, I forgot how fucking clueless you were."

Justin casually strolled towards Ana but before he could reach her Keane snarled like a violent animal, he then took a leap to put himself between Ana and Justin, but seeming to forget his legs were shackled, he took a nasty tumble. Justin let out a loud howl of laughter as he came to an abrupt stop.

"Keane!" Ana quickly dropped to her knees next to him, but he was already attempting to stand and with Ana's help, Keane got to his feet and stood in front of Ana.

"Stay away from her." He growled out.

"Some great warrior you are." Justin scoffed, dismissing Keane, his eyes meet Ana's. "I am the one that has been ordering your husband around, Ana. I am the one that has your sister and I am the one that will save the world from that monster _you_ can unleash."

At Zak's name, Ana felt her heart plummet. Zak had been working with Justin ... willingly? It would seem that the deeper she got into this mess and the more she discovered, the more she saw how right Justin was, she was incredibly stupid about somethings.

"How did you even know about any of this?" Ana asked, her voice trembling. "I don't understand how you even know what I am. You never even believed in this stuff."

Justin shrugged as he began to casually pace in front of Keane and her.

"After you moved to Vegas, I started to do a bit of digging around. About you, about Zak and this new stranger." Justin eyes locked with Keane. "This guy that just appeared out of nowhere but that seemed to know you very well." His gaze turned away from Keane and a small smile curved onto his lips. "I am a reporter, I know how to look for things that people don't want you to find. Well I guess my digging got the attention of this group ... they were actually looking for you Ana. They needed you for something."

Justin stopped pacing. He stopped in front of Keane and returned the angry glare. "I convinced these people that I was with them, on their side and they told me everything. How you are the key to releasing this Guardian creature and that it will somehow make the world better or some stupid bullshit like that. Either way I didn't give a fuck." Crossing his arms over his chest he sighed heavily. "Then I learned that you had a sister who could kill this thing ... well that is when I started thinking that this could somehow work to my advantage. And now here we are about to make history!" He grinned widely, his insinuation very clear. "I get famous and get rid of all the thorns in my side at the same time."

"You bloody bastard." Keane suddenly lunged for Justin again, this time knocking him to the ground.

Justin's men rushed over and with some difficulty got Keane off of Justin's body, who quickly rolled to his side and stood up. Like a rabid animal Keane snarled and snapped at the men that tried to restrain him. Ana had never seen Keane so violent and angry. Justin face was bright red and Ana knew that look all too well. He was furious and embarrassed. With a high pitch laugh, Justin took a step towards the still struggling Keane.

"What's wrong asshole? Don't like it when someone pulls the wool over your eyes?"

"I will bloody kill you!" Keane roared fiercely.

"Yeah, whatever. In a few hours you will be dead."

Ana felt her heart stop.

"What?" She whispered.

Justin gave a nod to the guards to take Keane away, but Ana felt like she was falling apart. Zak had betrayed her, in more ways than she could count and Keane was going to die? Keane could not die, could he? Ana felt herself crack. With a desperate cry she launched herself towards Keane. Things seemed to slow down and it was almost as if she was watching a movie.

"No!" She heard herself screech. Her hands landed on Keane's arm just as a body guard stepped in front and stopped her body from going any further. The man gripped her by the waist and easily lifted her off the ground. She tightened her grasp around Keane's arm. "No, Keane, please!"

Her fingers slipped and soon she was pulled away from the last stable thing in her life.

"Take him to the back." Justin barked. "And put her in with our guests."

"Don't you dare touch her." Keane howled as he was dragged away. "Anastasia, I will get you out of this!"

Ana struggled against her captor but to little avail. She watched Keane being dragged off, while she was being taken away.


End file.
